Survey of ICT and education in Africa : Mozambique country report

46374 SURVEY OF ICT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA: Mozambique Country Report ICT in Education in Mozambique by Shafika Isaacs April 2007 Source: World Fact Book1 Please note: This short Country Report, a result of a larger infoDev-supported Survey of ICT in Education in Africa, provides a general overview of current activities and issues related to ICT use in education in the country. The data presented here should be regarded as illustrative rather than exhaustive. ICT use in education is at a particularly dynamic stage in Africa; new developments and announcements happening on a daily basis somewhere on the continent. Therefore, these reports should be seen as "snapshots" that were current at the time they were taken; it is expected that certain facts and figures presented may become dated very quickly. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are entirely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of infoDev, the Donors of infoDev, the World Bank and its affiliated organizations, the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply on the part of the World Bank any judgment of the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. It is expected that individual Country Reports from the Survey of ICT and Education in Africa will be updated in an iterative process over time based on additional research and feedback received through the Mozambique - 1 www.infodev.org  SURVEY OF ICT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA: Mozambique Country Report infoDev web site. For more information, and to suggest modifications to individual Country Reports, please see www.infodev.org/ict4edu-Africa. Mozambique - 2 www.infodev.org  SURVEY OF ICT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA: Mozambique Country Report Overview Mozambique's economy has grown at a steady pace since the end of 1992, following 16 years of civil war. Its education system has also improved markedly with steady increases in school enrolment, even though the numbers of qualified teachers have not kept pace. Mozambique has also been in the lead in southern Africa in developing a national ICT policy and implementation strategy with dedicated programmes such as SchoolNet Mozambique and the Mozambican ICT Institute (MICTI), which serve as flagship projects in the use of ICTs to facilitate and support learning and skill development in the country. Country Profile In 1992 Mozambique was listed as the poorest country in the world with a GDP per capita of USD$80. Since then Mozambique's economy has grown steadily, with an average rate of 9% between 1997 and 2003. During the same period, the proportion of Mozambicans living below the poverty line fell from 69% to 54%, exceeding the goals set out in the government's first Poverty Reduction Strategy. Despite the impressive economic recovery, Mozambique is still among the world's 20 poorest countries. Table 1 provides a brief overview of the basic socio-economic indicators for the country. Table 1: Basic Economic Indicators: Mozambique Indicator Population 19.5 million (2005) Languages Official language: Portuguese. Other languages: Emakhuwa, Xichangana, Elomwe, Cisena, Echuwabo. 2005 Economic activity (% of Agriculture: 23.2% GDP) Industry: 30.0% Services: 46.8% Human Development Index 168 (out of 177 countries) (2005) Per capita gross national $230 (2004); $270 (2004); $310 (2005) income (US dollars) The Mozambican economy is based on agriculture with more than 70% of the population living in rural areas, working mainly in farming, forestry and fisheries. Half of the population is aged between six and 24 and women are in the majority. Almost 80% of public investment is earmarked for the social sector (education, health and water supply), and for agriculture, transport, and rural infrastructure. The Education System Mozambique - 3 www.infodev.org  SURVEY OF ICT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA: Mozambique Country Report The Ministry of Education administers primary and secondary education and the Ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology has administered higher education institutions since 2000. Formal education comprises a 5-2-3-2 system: