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Mozambique’s Deputy Education Minister, Manuel Bazo, on Friday expressed his indignation at the illegal sale of primary school text books which are supposed to be distributed, free of charge, to pupils in state schools.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to the Munhuana Secondary School in Maputo, Bazo promised that the government will eliminate the sale of the text books in the informal markets.
“We are aware of the diversion and the theft of the free text books”, he said. “However, work is under way to correct this and avoid any repetition in the future”.
This was the first government reaction to the scandal which was exposed on Monday by the independent television station STV.
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Using concealed cameras, and concentrating on the southern city of Matola, STV showed how children are not receiving the books, even though the government acquired 18.45 million of them for the 2020 academic year.
The situation in many public schools in the city was that there were not enough books, thus forcing pupils to share or look over each other’s shoulders.
But at the 3rd May School, a privately owned institution, STV found that each child has his or her own set of textbooks – and they are exactly the same books as those used in the state schools.
The parents say they purchased these books for their children on the informal market. The school told them what books to buy, and they found them in the informal markets. The books are sold – even though the cover of each book clearly states “Sale Forbidden”.
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The “3rd May” school management is perfectly aware that these books are not intended for children studying in private establishments, but it allows these stolen goods to enter the school.
Worse still, STV found the books being sold by teachers in a private school in Matola. Posing as a parent, an STV reporter purchased books from two teachers for 250 meticais (3.8 US dollars) each.
In the informal markets, the books are hidden because the vendors know perfectly well that selling them is illegal, but anyone who wants can buy them clandestinely for 150 meticais each.
This illicit trade is a form of redistribution of wealth – but from the poor to the rich. STV sought a reaction from the Ministry of Education, but the director for the area of school books refused to make any comment, saying he could only speak with the authorisation of the Minister.
Asked what measures the government would take to end the illicit sale of the books, Bazo said it was “premature” to announce any specific measures. But he guaranteed that mechanisms and strategies to control the distribution of the books are being drawn up in the Ministry.
As for distributing the books in areas of northern and central Mozambique hit by flooding and torrential rains, so that many of the roads are impassable, Bazo assured reporters that efforts are under way to ensure that all primary school pupils have access to the books.
Bazo said he is visiting schools in Maputo in order to share ideas with various stakeholders in education in order to guarantee “an inclusive, patriotic, efficient and effective education”.
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