unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (09/19/89)
MOZAMBIQUE: Privatisation Part of New Education Strategy
Maputo, September 14, 1989 (AIA/Subha Ghai) - Despite teachers'
being targetted by South African destabilisation, enrolment and
literacy have increased while the government is turning to the
private sector to support educational development.
This was revealed in a report from the Central Committee of the
ruling Frelimo Party delivered by President Chissano at its 5th
Congress from July 24 to 30.
The report states that the Mozambican government will propose
legislation to legitimise the practice of private education.
This will be the first time private education will be permitted in
the country since all schooling was nationalised in 1975.
The new laws will establish guidelines for community, private and
other educational institutions. The report states, "this means that
community schools will be subsidised by firms, co-operatives,
citizens' associations or social or humanitarian organisations, while
following curricular, normative and pedagogical directives from the
Ministry of Education. The teachers will be recruited directly by
the firms or by the community, with approval from the Ministry of
Education."
It says that community schools will serve not only the users on
whose initiative they were created, but also the community in
their catchment area, without making profits.
The report rationalises the privatisation of education on the basis
of the crisis created by South African destablisation of Mozambique.
More than 2,655 schools throughout the country, corresponding to 45
percent of Mozambique's entire primary school network, have been
destroyed or forced to close. And in some provinces such as Tete and
Zambezia, 80 percent of the schools are not functioning. In Sofala,
Niassa and Maputo provinces the number of schools has dropped by
half.
Currently, the national education system only covers 40 percent of
children between the ages of 7 and 11, and the State has no prospects
of increasing the percentage over the next decade. Schooling of more
than a million children has been affected. About 250,000 have no
education at all.
In urban areas, schools have become completely congested and are
running three shifts a day. This is partly due to war-induced
migration to the towns and partly to population increases. Thus the
ratio of students to teachers has increased to 62:1.
The crisis is further exacerbated by the implementation of the IMF
structural adjustment programme and the resulting cuts in the
educational budget. In 1987 only 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic
Product was allocated to education.
The Central Committee Report praised the work of the ONP, the National
Teachers Organisation (with whom the British Columbia Teachers
Federation has had fraternal links for a number of years). It
acknowledged that teachers and their families have been a favourite
target of the MNR bandit gangs because of their commitment to
education for the development of the nation.
However, recognising the sacrifices and hardships of the teachers, the
report recommended that the State should give greater priority to
improving teachers' standard of living, to promoting their prestige
in society together with efforts to improve their scientific and
teacher training levels.
The report cites progress in the higher number of primary school
graduates, the increasing enrolment of rural students at the only
university in the country - Eduardo Mondlane University - as well
as in various technical and professional colleges.
In secondary education the total number of students has nearly
doubled between 1983 and 1988, having grown from 14,351 to 26,201 for
secondary schools and from 1,580 to 2,499 for pre-university. During
the same period the number of university students taking degree
courses has grown from 1,106 to 2,202 with about 805 graduates over
five years.
However the legacy of colonialism and the war of destabilisation have
proved a stumbling block to the process of training more Mozambicans
in the running of their country.
At independence in 1975 with a population of 12 million, illiteracy
stood at more than 95 percent. By 1980, it was reduced to 72 percent.
And today, due to the war destruction and displacement adult literacy
campaigns are "virtually paralysed".
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