The school system in anglophone Cameroon is similar to that of the former colonists in structure.

At the age of 3 years children may start nursery school (kindergarten and preschool). Most of these are privately run and as a rule can be found in large cities only. Attending the nursery school involves fees.

This followed by elementary or primary school. Attending elementary or primary school, which takes 6 years, is compulsory for all children in Cameroon. Elementary or primary schools are both state and private (mostly run by churches) schools, with state schools being officially free of charge. As a rule, however, financing for these schools is that poor that the PTAs = Parent Teacher Associations collect fees from the parents. Elementary or primary school ends with the FSLC exam (First School Leaving Certificate Exam).

Attending Secondary or Grammar School in state schools is possible for gifted children only since although the fees to be paid are below those of private schools, good FSLC exam results are required. Well-off parents prefer private institutions or boarding schools which demand high levels of discipline from their students. Students graduate from these schools after 5 years with the GCEO Level (General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level).

With the GCEO level passed, students may attend High School for another 2 years, graduating at the GCEA level (General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level). One variant is the Technical High School, a vocational qualification training for 4 years (e.g. to be an electrician, joiner, etc.). Students graduate with the City and Guilds Exam.

Whoever still has stamina and the necessary finances is now qualified for university. At this time there are 8 universities in Cameroon, 6 state- and 2 privately run. In the anglophone part of the country there is the Buea University (state) and the Bamenda University of Science and Technology (private).