Dear Friends,
Breaking free from over 450 years of colonial oppression and rising from the smoke of a violent civil war, the history of the Mozambican people is one of resilience and resolve. Despite being an incredibly young nation of but 20 years, it has emerged as one of the most peaceful countries in Africa and economically stable. Its growth has been impressive with foreign investments growing each day especially in the minerals and mining sectors. This young nation is restless – to move towards its macro progress and prosperity.
But it is also restless on another account – its probability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals is low. One of these is on Education. By 2015, all girls and boys in Mozambique will not be able to complete a full cycle of primary education. Only 50 per cent of children in Mozambique complete primary education. Which means that the rest 50 per cent either dropped out even before they could learn to read and write or will lapse back to illiteracy.
Why is this happening? Who are these children who are unable to complete primary education? What will happen to them? What impact will this have on Mozambique’s progress and prosperity? Do these children count?
Imagine if all children could complete primary and secondary education, how much more prosperous Mozambique will be!
Friends, UNICEF’s Education Team in Mozambique invites you to this blog site to reflect with us on these and related questions and to share your thoughts, views and experiences on the challenges that children face in Mozambique to attain their basic right to education and development.
We look forward to a dialogue with you and to mutually share knowledge and understanding of the status of primary education n the through the prism of facts.
Anjana Mangalagiri
Chief, Education
UNICEF
Mozambique
