Mozambique: Quality education requires better conditions for teachers

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Mozambique: Quality education requires better conditions for teachers

7:13 CAT | 13 Oct 2016

TVM

Mozambican teachers on Wednesday called on the government to improve their working conditions as the basis for obtaining good quality education in the country’s schools.

Celebrating National Teachers’ Day, and the 35th anniversary of the foundation of the Teachers’ Union, the ONP, the teachers, as on previous anniversaries, stressed the importance of ensuring that teachers enjoy a proper career structure, with organized promotions, and progression along the career ladder.

Other problems include the poor physical condition of many of the schools, where children sit on the floor, or under trees, because there are not enough classrooms or enough desks.

After depositing a wreath at Maputo’s Monument to the Mozambican Heroes, the ONP General Secretary, Francisco Madeira, declared that the conditions under which teachers work do nothing to facilitate the teaching-learning process.

“We want improvements in our working conditions”, he urged, “We know that there are classrooms that need to be improved to secure improved quality of education”. Nonetheless, he urged the country’s 145,000 teachers to continue working with the maximum commitment.

“Although we face difficulties, we shall do what we can to improve the quality of education, because we are the ones who shape the minds of Mozambicans”, said Madeira.

For his part, Education Minister Jorge Ferrao said it was the shortage of funds which dictated the conditions under which teachers work.

“It’s normal that you should complain”, he said, “Our society, and our economy, do not generate sufficient resources to give the best possible conditions to all the teachers that we have. Our system has about 145,000 teachers. Every year a further 8,000 are added. Naturally, to meet the ideal conditions for such a large number of teachers, we would need a strong and robust economy, which generates tax revenue”.

The government has been doing what it can, within the limits posed by the economy, added Ferrao. He claimed that education consumes 23 per cent of the state budget. But of this amount, 94 per cent is spent on paying wages.

The remaining six per cent was what was left to build schools, houses for teachers, and everything else required to keep the education system running. “We shall do whatever is possible”, Ferrao pledged.

The minister noted that, despite the adverse conditions, teachers remain at their posts. He praised in particular those who continue to work in parts of the country affected by military instability.

Source: AIM