from Hsinhua
The Congolese (Brazzaville) Government has decided to take over all schools belonging to churches and private persons. High-ranking Government officials and leading members of the ruling National Revolutionary Movement (MNR) have been touring the various regions of the country to implement the decision. Last month, a law on nationalisation of education was passed by the national assembly, It provides that all schools of churches and private persons in the country will be transferred to the state, The law will be implemented before the new school term which begins on October lst,
The decision was warmly welcomed by wide sections of the public as shown in the large number of letters sent to Government ministries by students, parents and teachers supporting the decision. The executive committee of the General Union of Congolese (B) Students held an extraordiuary meeting to examine the implemerfation of the decision. It called on teachers and students to oppose activities against the law. But there has been stubborn opposition from foreign Catholic ckurches. Since the adoption of the law, more than 120 foreign teachers and priests have threatened to resign in an attempt to create difficulties for the Congolese Government,
The Congolese Government is making every effort to surmount difficulties. At the initiative of the MNR, many teachers and university students have pledged to give voluntary course to students in primary and secondary schools. The majority of schools and colleges in the country were formerly run by churches and private persons, The students in these schools were forced to take religious studies, Children from non-religious families were not allowed to enter the schools run by the churchesSe