Mozambican Education Minister Samaria Tovela has announced plans to print school textbooks domestically, responding to distribution issues stemming from past hiring mistakes. Efforts prioritize local companies while facing challenges from funding preferences for international firms. Although distribution for the current school year is nearly complete, road damage from Cyclone Jude has posed additional challenges.
The Mozambican Education Minister, Samaria Tovela, has declared that negotiations are underway with local companies to print school textbooks within Mozambique for its public education system. This initiative aims to tackle the persistent issues regarding the distribution of textbooks, which have stemmed from hiring unqualified individuals as coordinators and authors. In 2022, this resulted in textbooks containing significant errors in essential subjects including Geography, Mathematics, and History.
The Mozambican Association of Printing Industries (AIGM) has urged the government to prioritize national printing firms in public tenders, advocating for a focus on local capacities instead of favoring foreign entities, particularly Portuguese companies. Although local companies are equipped to handle the printing, financial institutions often prefer international tenders which tend to be awarded to non-Mozambican firms.
At a ceremony commemorating the 52nd anniversary of the Mozambican Women’s Organization (OMM), Minister Tovela assured reporters that domestic printing of textbooks would commence this year. “We are discussing with the national companies in order to have a cost that our state can bear,” Tovela stated, underscoring the importance of controlling costs.
Tovela emphasized that printing textbooks domestically is crucial for the upcoming 2026 school year, and some materials are expected to be printed this year. She noted that 87% of textbooks for the current school year have been distributed and aims to complete distribution by the end of March. However, distribution efforts face challenges in certain districts due to road damage caused by Cyclone Jude, which recently affected northern and central Mozambique.
In summary, the Mozambican government is taking steps to enhance the local printing of school textbooks, addressing significant distribution issues affecting the education sector. By negotiating with domestic companies, the government aims to lower costs and improve the quality of educational materials. Despite current distribution challenges caused by recent natural disasters, progress is being made toward achieving a complete rollout of textbooks for students.
Original Source: clubofmozambique.com
