Child Poverty in Mozambique. A Situation and Trend ... - Unicef

Absenteeism is also common among teachers, partly due to the impact of HIV/AIDS
and also as a result of low morale among teachers. Teacher salaries are often paid
months in arrears, especially for newly recruited teachers, leading them to abandon
their posts or to give precedence to non-teaching activities that guarantee an income
for themselves and their families. Other forms of support for teachers in terms of
supervision and assistance when moving to a different post are also often lacking
(MEC 2006; PAP 2004).
The 2004/2005 IFTRAB showed that 47 per cent of those surveyed were dissatisfied
with their local school, with a significant difference between those in urban and rural
areas (28 and 61 per cent respectively). The highest level of dissatisfaction was found
in Zambezia province, at 73 per cent, and the lowest in Maputo Province, at 12 per
cent. The main reasons given for their dissatisfaction were the lack of materials (31
per cent); the poor condition of school facilities (29 per cent); the lack of books (17
per cent); the lack of teachers (6 per cent); and the payment of bribes (1.5 per cent).
Higher levels of dissatisfaction were recorded in rural areas than in urban areas for all
of these issues with the exception of bribery, which was slightly more prevalent in
urban areas, and was most prevalent in the province of Nampula (cited by 6 per cent
as a cause of dissatisfaction) (INE 2006). Increasing the volume of resources in the
hands of schools and their capacity to manage the resources and define local level
strategies for school improvement is vital in this regard.
a. Lack of materials
A major barrier to quality education often cited is the lack of basic school materials,
and in particular text books. The current textbook-learner ratio is not known, but it is
estimated to far exceed the ECSP target ratio of 1:1 in all subjects. An estimated 25
per cent of learners have all of the required textbooks (MEC 2006: 2). While progress
was made in distributing large quantities of books with the introduction of the new
primary curriculum in 2004, there are several remaining challenges. The textbooks
delivered by the Government tend to arrive very late and leakages to the black market
and weak distribution mean that the required quantities do not always arrive in
schools. In theory, after the initial delivery, schools should receive an additional 30 per
cent of text books to account for any books not returned or damaged by learners at
the end of the year, but this delivery often does not materialise. Exercise books, pens
and pencils are in principle the responsibility of parents. Although the Direct Support
to Schools funds can be used to purchase these items, in light of the many other
competing needs, few exercise books are purchased and many parents do not have
the money to pay for these materials. 56
b. Poor condition of school infrastructure
The low quality of education in Mozambique is reflected in the physical state of school
infrastructure. Few Mozambican schools currently provide a school environment
conducive to learning and in a recent national study on governance and corruption the
lack of adequate facilities in schools was cited by respondents as the main obstacle
to attaining an education (41 per cent of respondents gave this 5 on a scale of
importance from 1 to 5) (Austral: 70).
The construction of schools and classrooms in Mozambique has not kept pace with
the rapid increase in enrolment and there is a chronic shortage across the country.
In 2005, there were 70 students for every classroom (MEC 2005). According to
56 The ADE/OVC pilot programme includes extra funds specifically to cover materials for all learners in its four target districts, on the premise
that this is a major barrier to access for the poorest (as well as negatively affecting quality). It is envisaged that this programme will be taken to
national scale by beginning of 2008.
156 CHILDHOOD POVERTY IN MOZAMBIQUE: A SITUATION AND TRENDS ANALYSIS