The government warned on Monday, May 11, that the lack of predictable and sustainable funding continues to undermine the education sector’s ability to respond in Mozambique, particularly in the face of challenges related to the quality of education, infrastructure expansion, and the growing impact of natural disasters.
Speaking during the opening of the “Global Action Week for Education for All (SAGEPT),” Inspector General of Education Gonçalves Guambe stated that the current year has been particularly difficult for the sector due to the effects of cyclones, floods, and droughts that have destroyed schools, disrupted the academic calendar, and affected thousands of students in various provinces across the country.
“Climate change has left communities isolated, disrupted school calendars in some provinces of the country, and compromised the right to education of thousands of children and young people, in what is the greatest of challenges: the resilience of our sector,” he said.
He emphasized that education in emergency situations must be viewed as a vital necessity and not as a luxury, adding that, despite the progress made over the past two decades, structural challenges persist that affect the quality of learning and the equity of the education system.
Data presented at the meeting indicate that, between 2014 and 2024, the Ministry of Education and Culture received, on average, 17.8% of the state budget, with a large portion of that allocated to operating expenses, primarily salaries. “This situation reduces the resources available for investments in infrastructure, educational technologies, and continuing teacher training,” he emphasized.
Last year, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Culture, Silvestre Dava, had stated that the institution expected to have a “robust” budget for 2026, capable of “mitigating” delays in the payment of overtime to teachers, which had, at the time, led to strikes and work stoppages in several provinces across the country.
“It was desirable for our budget to be robust for 2026 so that we could mitigate the overtime problem,” he stated at the time.
