The NGO Economic and Social Regroupment of Daughters-Mothers (RESOFIME) has, this start of the school year, found the doors closed to public establishments where it intended to enroll, as it has done for ten years, the numerous out-of-school children that it has identified in as part of its UNESA program (A child, a school education, a future) aimed at approaching establishments to accommodate children from economically weak families. Also, the idea of turning to establishments in the private sector germinated in the head of Yves Essongué, its founding president.

By bringing together heads of establishments in this sector at the end of last week around the problem of combating school dropouts, the NGO RESOFIME was aware that it was knocking on a door where difficulties are legion. The founders of these establishments must, without state subsidies, except for a few colleges, face operating costs which are suffocating them. And their main source of funding, parents, are struggling to support them. Hence we record abysmal debts in most of these establishments due to unpaid tuition fees. All things which have been brought to the attention of the NGO.

Not wanting to give up, Yves Essongué and his team have offered to now stand alongside the promoters of private establishments to develop specifications to be submitted to the transition authorities as part of the next social dialogue. To do this, the two parties set up what they called a Social Affairs Management Council for private schools in Ogooué-Maritime. This structure will have the mission of working on:

- The situation of school report cards being held in schools due to non-payment by parents;

- The general debt of parents to private establishments;

- The social treatment of private establishments and teaching and administrative staff;

- The legal status of private establishments in order to hope to obtain state subsidies.

Based on this inventory, the two partners hope to find an attentive ear from the transitional government.

Fidèle AFANOU EDEMBE

Port-Gentil/Gabon