More and better-qualified teachers for Mozambican schools

Finland has promoted native-tongue education in Mozambique and supported significant reforms in the education sector, such as diversifying teacher education and extending free compulsory education from seven to nine years.

Angela Metazama, who has completed a three-year teacher training programme, has been a teacher for 11 years, teaching grades one to three. Enthusiastic about her work, Angela started teacher training studies immediately after seventh grade. Photo: Outi Einola-Head

In its development cooperation in the education sector in Mozambique, Finland has emphasized native-tongue education and learning materials and, especially in recent years, teacher education, girls’ education, and the key role of education administration in supporting children's learning. To date, textbooks have been published in 19 different languages. Today, an expert in bilingual education works at the Ministry of Education and in every province of the country.

According to an external evaluation focusing on the period 2014–2022, the cooperation has yielded good results. The number of teachers has increased in both primary and lower secondary schools: the number of lower secondary school teachers doubled between 2010 and 2022, and at the same time, the proportion of female teachers increased to one quarter. Over the longer term, access to basic education has improved significantly.

Background

In 1992, only 41 per cent of Mozambican children aged 6 to 12 attended school, but before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the figure had already risen to over 90 per cent.

Although almost all Mozambican children start basic education, pupils' basic reading and writing skills are weak, and as a result, learning outcomes generally remain modest.

For many children, learning is significantly hindered by the fact that the language of instruction is Portuguese. It is the country's official language, yet it is spoken as a mother tongue by only one in ten Mozambicans, and even fewer in rural areas. Other barriers to learning include large class sizes, a shortage of school buildings, and administrative challenges.

Impact of Finland's development cooperation

Finland’s bilateral development cooperation with the State of Mozambique ended after 2024. Finland had supported the Mozambican education sector since 1998, and in 2022, Finland’s funding for FASE, the international joint funding mechanism for the education sector, amounted to eight million euros. In addition, Finland funded in-service training for Mozambican teachers through the World Bank’s COACH programme. The Government of Mozambique is also strongly committed to financing education and has in recent years allocated 20–22 per cent of its total national budget to the education sector.

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