EPC Galinha, Muanza, Sofala Province, Mozambique.

Partner since:

Total grant support: US$411,299,111

Grant eligibility:

  • Multiplier
  • Multiplier and Girls' Education Accelerator
  • System capacity
  • System transformation

Education sector plan

Objective: Ensure inclusion and equity in access, participation and retention; the quality of learning; and transparent, participatory, efficient and effective governance.

Other key documents

Transforming education in Mozambique

In recent years, Mozambique has made good progress in the education sector. The National Education System Law was revised in December 2018 and established a new structure for the sector, increasing mandatory (and free) education from seven to nine years.

The duration of the education cycles was restructured, reducing primary education from seven to six years, and increasing secondary education from five to six years. The law also recognizes, for the first time, preschool as a sub-sector of education, although not a requirement to enter primary.

These changes and more investment and government commitment to keep education expenditure high have led to the progress.

Yet, efficiency challenges still plaque the system. There are still almost two million primary-school-age children not attending school. More than one third of students drop out before Grade 3 and less than half complete primary, well below the average in Sub-Saharan African countries.

In upper primary, the gender gap increases, as more girls abandon school prematurely. Due to several factors including high levels of teacher absenteeism, children only have 74 out of the 190 expected school days in the year.

In terms of access, only 3.5% of children between 3 and 5 years were enrolled in preschool in 2019, but the number of students in primary education doubled between 2004 and 2018.

Aligned with the national and international development Agenda, the education sector plan (ESP) 2020-2029 aims to train ''citizens with knowledge, skills, moral, civic and patriotic values capable of contributing to the development of a cohesive society adapted to the constantly changing world”. Its three priorities are to:

  1. Ensure inclusion and equity in access, participation, and retention by securing all children, youth, and adults’ access to a full cycle of school readiness, primary and lower secondary education.
  2. Ensure the quality of learning by making sure that children, youth, and adults acquire basic literacy, numeracy, and life skills
  3. Ensure transparent, participatory, efficient, and effective governance by enhancing the capacities of ministry of education’s staff to enable education sector planners and managers to practice evidence-based policy and strategy.

The plan also takes into account natural disasters, which affected the implementation of the previous plan, and includes a stronger gender focus across all priorities.

Result story

Mozambique: Candida returns to school after devastation of two cyclones

  • Two back-to-back cyclones—Idai and Kenneth—made landfall in central and northern Mozambique in 2019, disrupting learning for students.
  • These natural disasters caused extensive damage to education infrastructure, the loss of learning materials and interruption of the school cycle.
  • With GPE's support, the government of Mozambique is ensuring children continue learning even when natural disasters strike.

Grants

(data as of March 19, 2024)

 
  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2023 - 2025

    Allocation: US$686,500

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: WB

  • Type: Accelerated funding

    Years: 2023 - 2024

    Allocation: US$10,000,000

    Utilization: US$180,620

    Grant agent: UNICEF

  • Type: Program implementation and Multiplier

    Years: 2021 - 2026

    Allocation: US$140,000,000

    Utilization: US$38,918,775

    Grant agent: WB

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

  • Movimento de Educação Para Todos for the 2020-2023 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
  • Transnational Networks Advocacy Capacity strengthened for improved ECDE legislation, policies and measures in Southern Africa (TRANAC) led by Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood Development (ZINECDA) for the 2021-2023 period.
  • Addressing the learning crisis through system strengthening led by Global Integrity for the 2021-2024 period.

Learn more

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