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". --- * Origin: AlterNet, Node1 (Opus 1:163/113) --- Patt Haring | United Nations | FAX: 212-787-1726 patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information | BBS: 201-795-0733 patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange | (3/12/24/9600 Baud) -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-