At a time when the world is undergoing rapid and complex changes, thinking about education in the long term is a matter of survival. E&M spoke with Jorge Ferrão, former Minister of Education and current Rector of the Pedagogical University of Maputo.
The role of education as a pillar for sustainable development becomes even more crucial when projecting the next five decades. With technological advancements transforming economies and societies, it is imperative to structurally rethink the education system. Jorge Ferrão, a former minister in the field and head of one of the country’s largest universities, is a respected voice on the matter and sounds a warning: without a strong foundation in primary education, it will be impossible to build a competitive and effective education system. Ferrão advocates for deep, realistic, and consistent reforms to ensure that, in 50 years, Mozambique will have a system capable of preparing citizens for the challenges of the modern world.
“The country needs a Ministry dedicated solely to primary education, without being mixed with other areas of education, and it must have significantly more resources than any other ministry,” he states.
“If I have to defend this argument anywhere, I have the evidence that a Ministry for primary education would be like the oxygen we need to breathe. That important,” he reiterated, citing neighboring countries as examples. Zimbabwe and Tanzania adopted this approach and, as a result, have better-functioning education systems.
At the heart of the system are teachers. “We must ensure proper recognition and career pathways for every primary school teacher and guarantee they are well paid.” The former minister says there has never been a real effort to “look at the salary of a primary school teacher and properly value this professional, as was done during colonial times. This is where we must start if we want a prosperous country in the next 50 years,” he emphasized.
Priority: Study New Technologies
Jorge Ferrão argues that the focus must be on the fact that basic education in Mozambique is not in good shape. This should be the priority, rather than trying to address issues in secondary or higher education without first fixing the foundation. If primary education is not the priority, we will never have a truly strong and competitive system.
Once that priority is established, Ferrão advocates for a curriculum reform oriented towards technology. In his view, the developments of recent decades “have brought about rapid and effective changes, and we are struggling to keep up. We continue to implement a curriculum overloaded with theoretical content, which serves little purpose, and neglect more practical and relevant content that should focus on technology and the exact sciences.”
We Need Consistent Plans and Programs
“The education system cannot have curricular plans interrupted every five years with each new government. We need to develop a consistent national plan that remains unchanged despite political transitions,” says Ferrão.
Mozambique has undergone several curriculum reforms in recent years, aiming to improve the quality and relevance of education.
One of the most notable changes was the 2017 revision of the primary education curriculum, which adopted a student-centered approach and introduced instruction in Mozambican languages in the early years to improve comprehension and academic results. Secondary education also saw changes, with the introduction of more science-, technology-, and skill-based content in an effort to better align schools with labor market demands.
However, these changes have occurred in a context of uncertainty and inconsistency regarding system rules and teachers’ working conditions. For example, the frequent shifting of final exam requirements between school years has caused confusion among students, parents, and educators. These decisions are often poorly communicated and lack solid reasoning, undermining the predictability and stability of the education system.
Moreover, the implementation of reforms continues to face structural obstacles such as a shortage of qualified teachers, inadequate teaching materials, and stark regional disparities in access to quality education.
Jorge Ferrão warns:
“We can’t keep making mistakes without learning from them. If we do, where are we headed? What kind of country do we expect to have in the next 50 years?” he asked.
What Failed and What Must Change
After independence, the country embraced the ideal of leaving no child without access to education. Later, in 2000, Mozambique ratified the Dakar Framework for Action — a global commitment made during the World Education Forum to achieve the goals of “Education for All” (EFA).
But this approach divided society, Ferrão recalls. The question was: why enroll everyone in the education system when we don’t have the conditions to support them? As an alternative, why not offer better-quality education to a smaller group of students, while another group gains social skills to join the system later?
Ferrão reveals that the EFA principle failed due to a combination of factors.
“We lacked strategy, resources, and, most of all, policies to do this work properly.”
When he became Minister of Education in 2015, Ferrão proposed classifying schools as A, B, and C — from best to worst — with the goal of fostering competitiveness and encouraging weaker schools to improve. But that idea also failed.
“We didn’t have time to implement the strategy, and support for the education sector began to decline.”
A sustained commitment that offers predictability to the entire educational community is now seen as essential for the next 50 years.
Text: Celso Chambisso • Photography: Mariano Silva & D.R.
