The Minister of Education and Culture, Samaria Tovela, acknowledged on Wednesday, October 8, the important role of literacy teachers in the national education system and assured that the Government began paying the outstanding allowances owed to these professionals this week.
“The President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, authorized the payment to literacy teachers, recognizing that they carry out their work from Rovuma to Maputo, and this commitment deserves acknowledgment. Today, we will assess how many people have already been paid and how many districts have been covered,” explained the minister, as quoted by Lusa.
Speaking in Maputo during the opening of the Education Coordination Council, held under the theme “Education, Research, and Culture: Fundamental Pillars for the Country’s Sustainable Development”, the minister reiterated that the overdue allowances for this year are currently being paid, while the Government organizes payments for other pending debts.
“I recognize that we still face challenges in school infrastructure, and we continue to work as a Government, with the support of our partners, to build more schools—especially in rural areas—ensuring that our children can gradually grow and learn in dignified conditions,” she emphasized.
Since last year, Mozambique has faced strikes by education professionals protesting delays in the payment of overtime and allowances, pending since the end of 2022. In Nampula province alone, more than 2,000 literacy teachers suspended their activities last month.
Authorities hired 8,419 literacy teachers in the first three months of last year, out of the nearly 11,000 that were planned. According to a report, these professionals made it possible to support 210,475 adult learners nationwide, achieving 77.6% of the 2024 target.
Most literacy teachers were assigned to the provinces of Nampula (2,817), Zambézia (1,727), Cabo Delgado (939), and Tete (802). In the first quarter of 2024, corresponding to the start of Mozambique’s school year, 1,982 primary school teachers were also hired—benefiting 130,000 students—along with 629 secondary school teachers, who reached 34,595 students.
Source: Diário Económico
