Huambo – At least 260,000 school-age children are out of the teaching/learning system for the 2023/2024 academic year, in central Huambo, as a result of the lack of teachers and classrooms in the region.
The information was disclosed by the director of the local Education office, Mário Rodrigues, adding that the sector controls 10,121 classrooms, with the capacity to accommodate 842,734 students in several teaching subsystems, distributed in 840 schools from primary education to the II cycle, including primary schools, institutes, polytechnics and the private sector.
Rodrigues added that during the last academic year 916,500 students were enrolled, of which 70% were in primary education, where the sector controls only 2,188 permanent construction classrooms and 47 improvised classrooms.
He said the Ministry of Education recommends 35 students for each class, but in order not to leave many children outside the normal education system, there are excesses, with classes made up of 100 students, which requires redoubled creative efforts on the part of the teachers.
Without specifying the number of teachers and rooms needed in the next academic year (2024/2025), Mário Rodrigues said the sector was reinforced with 707 new teachers, 612 for primary education and 95 for the II cycle, which added 18,299 teachers monitored in the 11 municipalities of the province.
The Official said that several projects are underway to help improve the teaching/learning process at provincial level, mainly to equip schools with the necessary resources.JSV/ALH/CF/AMP
