The Mozambican Government announced on Tuesday, August 5, following another ordinary session of the Council of Ministers, that local printing companies have officially started producing school textbooks for grades 1 to 3 of the National Education System (SNE).
“We confirm that the printing companies have already begun local production of the books. This is a Government effort undertaken with responsibility, given the scale of the investment,” said Inocêncio Impissa, the Government spokesperson.
Quoted by Lusa, Impissa noted that production was previously done abroad due to funding difficulties and conditions imposed by partners, which “created some discomfort for the country.” In recent years, the education system has faced problems with textbook distribution, partly due to the hiring of unqualified coordinators and authors, with some books—particularly in 2022—containing serious errors in subjects like Geography, Mathematics, and History.
To prevent further delays, the Mozambican Association of Printing Industries (AIGM) urged the Government to prioritize national printing houses through favorable public tenders that leverage local capacity, instead of favoring foreign firms, especially those from Portugal.
Recently, Minister of Education and Culture Samaria Tovela confirmed in Parliament that the education budget allocation will be reduced in 2025, dropping from 14.2% of the State Budget in 2024 to 12.1%.
Despite this, the Minister assured that the Government remains committed to investing in teacher training and school infrastructure improvements to ensure a more inclusive, resilient, and responsive education system.
“Education remains one of the Government’s top priorities. We are committed to ensuring the efficient use of available resources. However, the current budget context is heavily influenced by the post-election crisis, which led to an economic slowdown and a drop in domestic revenue collection,” she explained.
As part of the Government’s 2025–2029 Five-Year Plan, 58,128 new teachers are expected to be gradually hired by 2029, aiming to reduce the current student-teacher ratio to 55:1. The Minister stressed that these actions are meant to improve teaching conditions and expand access to quality education across the country.
In the area of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), 44,000 teachers from grades 3 and 4 have been trained, along with 228 secondary school teachers, 392 teacher-training institute instructors, 85 technical and vocational trainers, and 325 higher education lecturers. Robotics clubs have also been established in various secondary schools.
Source: Diário Económico
