Mozambique: Plans for Domestic School Textbook Printing Announced

The Mozambican Education Ministry is negotiating with local companies to print school textbooks locally to resolve distribution issues faced in the public education system. Minister Samaria Tovela confirmed the initiative aims to commence this year, emphasizing manageable costs and improved access despite recent challenges from Cyclone Jude, which impacted transportation.

The Mozambican Education Minister, Samaria Tovela, has revealed that the government is in negotiations with local firms to print school textbooks within Mozambique. This initiative aims to improve the public education system’s efficiency regarding textbook distribution, which has faced significant challenges in recent years due to issues related to incompetent coordination and authorship, resulting in numerous errors in Geography, Mathematics, and History textbooks observed in 2022.

To ensure timely book distribution, the Mozambican Association of Printing Industries (AIGM) has urged the government to favor local printing companies by offering favorable public tenders. This shift would prioritize domestic capabilities over foreign firms, particularly those from Portugal. Despite the local printing capabilities, funding agencies continue to favor international tenders, usually awarded to non-Mozambican firms.

During a recent press conference in Maputo, on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the Mozambican Women’s Organization (OMM), Minister Tovela affirmed that the printing of textbooks domestically would commence this year. “We are discussing with the national companies in order to have a cost that our state can bear,” she stated, emphasizing the necessity of manageable costs.

The minister highlighted that while the goal is to print a significant portion of the textbooks for the 2026 school year, some would also be produced in the current year. She acknowledged that as of now, 87% of textbooks have been distributed for the current academic year, with plans to complete distribution by the end of March. However, challenges remain due to transportation difficulties caused by Cyclone Jude, which affected access in certain districts, particularly in Nampula, necessitating coordination with transport companies to finalize the distribution process.

In summary, Mozambique’s Education Ministry is shifting towards domestic production of school textbooks to address ongoing distribution issues. This approach is expected to enhance efficiency and accuracy in educational materials. Minister Tovela’s commitment to initiating local printing this year signifies a step forward, despite current challenges posed by natural disasters affecting distribution logistics.

Original Source: clubofmozambique.com