Mozambique: Only 71% of secondary schools reopening for Grade 12 today – Carta

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Mozambique: Only 71% of secondary schools reopening for Grade 12 today – Carta

2:23 CAT | 01 Oct 2020

Photo: Jornal Domingo

Seventy-five days have passed since head of state Filipe Jacinto Nyusi backtracked on his decision to resume face-to-face classes in public and private general education. In the interim, only 71% of the secondary schools in the country have managed to put in place the conditions to reopen this Thursday, October 1, 2020, the date set for the resumption of Grade 12 classes.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Minister of Education and Human Development Carmelita Namashulua revealed that, of the 311 secondary schools evaluated, only 222 were approved, of which 149 were from the public sector and 73 from the private sector. Mozambique has, in total, 476 secondary schools.

According to the Minister of Education, the resumption of Grade 12 classes today (Thursday 01-10) is to be followed by Grade 10 and the 3rd year of adult education courses on October 19, and Grade 7 classes on November 2.

The 2020 academic year is set to end on February 26, 2021, so students have five months to prepare for and write their final exams.

Face-to-face classes were interrupted more than six months ago, on March 20, due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic in the country.

“The resumption of face-to-face classes covers all 476 public and private secondary schools. These secondary schools have a total of 998,443 students, out of a total of 8,591,088 [students countrywide]. There are 168,805 students attending Grade 12, with 297,106 in Grade 10 and 532,532 in Grade 7. Students must attend school three times a week, for a maximum of four hours and 30 minutes, and will have short breaks of five minutes between double classes and of 10 minutes after two classes,” the minister explained.

Although no date has been set for resuming classes in grades without exams in public schools, the scenario in private education is different.

In private schools, classes in grades without exams will resume on October 19, observing preventive measures approved by health authorities and with authorisation from the Ministry of Education and Human Development.

Minister Namashulua also said that student progression in grades without exams was assured, although a diagnostic evaluation of students would be made.

By Marta Afonso

Source: Carta de Moçambique