PLANIFICATION ADMINISTRATIVE ET RENDEMENT SCOLAIRE EN ZONE ZEP: ANALYSE DE LA « DÉRIVE NUMÉRIQUE » DANS LES ÉTABLISSEMENTS PRIVÉS DU SEPTENTRION CAMEROUNAIS

Abstract In the Priority Education Zones (ZEP) of Northern Cameroon, the massive introduction of mobile technologies in schools has led to the emergence of the "downward-facing generation" phenomenon. Through this study, we analyze the critical role of administrative planning as a tool for regulating these practices within private institutions. By employing a mixed-methods approach—combining surveys of 300 students and interviews with school administrators in Garoua, Maroua, and Ngaoundéré—we demonstrate that this digital drift is less a technological inevitability than a direct consequence of an institutional normative vacuum. Our findings reveal that the absence of digital charters and strategic planning leaves smartphone usage entirely to the recreational sphere. Conversely, we establish that the planned integration of mobile devices as didactic tools compensates for the shortage of physical textbooks and significantly improves student engagement. Ultimately, our research advocates for a transition from surveillance-based administration toward contractual and pedagogical digital management, an essential condition for transforming the smartphone into an instrument of resilience and academic success in the Northern regions.