Education
An expanded system with room for improvement Mozambican children now have a much better opportunity to learn than before. Today, 83 per cent of children are enrolled in primary school, up from 32 per cent in 1992. The number of children in the secondary system increased from about 45,000 to 245,000 during the same period. Despite enormous progress to expand the education system in Mozambique over the past decade, there have not been corresponding investments in the quality of education. About half of lower primary school teachers do not have formal teacher training, and double or triple-shift teaching has been introduced to cope with the shortage of classrooms and teachers. There are also more than 650,000 primary school age children out of school. Many children do not complete their education and drop out of school as a result of the poor quality of teaching, overcrowded classrooms and the inability to afford uniforms, books and other school related costs. In 2004, only 28 per cent of girls and 40 per cent of boys completed primary school. There are also significant disparities in children’s access to education. Access is compromised by poverty, gender, residence and level of education of the head of household. In families with an uneducated head of household for example, 38 per cent of children have never been to school compared to only four per cent in families where the head has secondary education or higher.
Child-focused education The Ministry of Education and Culture, with support from UNICEF and other partners, works to increase access and improve the quality of primary education, especially for girls and vulnerable children, and provide life skills education to all children. The Government is implementing an innovative package of school interventions to improve access and quality, known as the Child-Friendly School (CFS) initiative. The programme works on improving different aspects of a school to create a teaching and learning environment that is inclusive, child friendly, gender-responsive and protective. CFS includes learning and teaching material, extracurricular life skills programmes on HIV and AIDS prevention and girls’ empowerment, safe water and sanitation, school-based health and nutrition and access to social services for orphaned and vulnerable children. Community mobilisation and awareness-raising on the importance of basic education, especially girls’ education, reinforce the CFS approach. Schools provide an entry point for like skills development and mobilisation of young people in the movement to halt the spread of HIV and AIDS. Children aged 10 to 14 present a window of opportunity for the prevention of HIV and AIDS. Many are not yet sexually active at this age and if equipped with the right knowledge and skills, they can avoid getting infected with HIV. UNICEF and other partners support the Ministry of Education and Culture to strengthen the professional development of teachers in interactive teaching approaches. Training is also provided to school directors in supervision and school management and to school councils in basic governance. Schools located in districts prone to drought, floods, earthquakes and famine are assisted in preparing for humanitarian emergencies. Education authorities are supported in developing and updating education contingency plans, and materials are pre-positioned to ensure minimum disruption of schooling during natural disasters.
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