Hundreds of students took to the streets on Monday to protest the tightening of conditions for granting scholarships to middle and high school students. You must now have 12/20 instead of 10 to receive the grant.
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With our correspondent in Libreville, Yves Laurent Goma
They took to the streets in Libreville, Koula Moutou, Franceville and Moanda in southern Gabon. A single watchword: we want the stock market. Before it was abolished in 2017 by the Ali Bongo regime, each student who had an average of 10/20 received this scholarship worth 24,000 FCFA per quarter. On September 4, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguéma in his inauguration speech announced the resumption of payment of the scholarship without conditions. But to everyone’s surprise, as students were preparing to receive their money last week, the Minister of National Education announced that it was now necessary to have an average of 12 in middle school and 11 in high school to obtain it. A decision that arouses the anger of the students: “ We want the scholarship! »
On social networks, the government’s about-face is widely criticized. Donatien Boulingui, president of the National Council of Parents of Gabon warned about the consequences of the new measures: “ These measures may create risks of psychological disruption among our young students for the school year that has already begun. “, did he declare.
Invited to the 8 p.m. news on national television, Laurence Ndong, minister and government spokesperson, deplores that the efforts of the authorities to restore this scholarship “ in just four months » are not recognized. “ Despite the crisis, the President of the Republic decides to restore the stock exchanges. Everyone has to make an effort “, she defended.
The payment of this grant of 24,000 FCFA should begin in a few days. The government has provided an annual envelope of 12 billion FCFA for this purpose.