Africa-Press – Mozambique. Literacy teachers in Mozambique’s central province of Manica say that their remuneration is too little, but on top of that, it hasn’t been paid since February.
One of those affected is asking the government for urgent help, but, for fear of reprisals, spoke to DW anonymously.
“Since we started working until now, the allowance has not yet been paid. We are asking for the government to help give us the strength to teach students, with all the will and love,” the literacy teacher said.
“From the 8th of February until this month we still don’t have the subsidy. With this hunger and Covid-19, we are feeling sick. We asked the government to help us. We also need an increase,” the teacher laments.
Literacy teachers usually receive around 650 meticais (€8.60) a month.
Another literacy teacher says that, when he stopped being paid, he was forced to look for other jobs to put bread on the table – jobs he performs in parallel with adult literacy. He also requested anonymity.
“The subsidy is very low and they are too late to pay. This year we have not received the subsidies yet and we are working, we are still waiting. We need soap to wash the clothes we wear for the day’s work, and it’s getting very difficult.”
High dropout rate
This Wednesday marks World Literacy Day. But in Manica, concern is at an all-time high.
In addition to the lack of payment of subsidies, and the subsidies being low, literacy teachers say that there is a high rate of student dropout, which is related to structural problems in the sector. According to the teachers, there is a lack of teaching material, decent classrooms and incentives for adults to continue studying, as many of them have to work in the machambas [smallholdings].
Read: Mozambique: Illiteracy rate fell more than expected
Literacy teachers say that, at the beginning of the school year, there are always between 50 and 60 students in a class, but by the end, there are only 10 or 15 left. This school year there was also a decrease of 10.4% in the number of enrolments, which totalled about 11,000.
Government promises payment soon
The provincial director of Education and Human Development of Manica, Baptista Francisco, says he is aware of the problem, and also of the non-payment of subsidies.
Payment will be made soon, he promises. “I think this is a situation that will be resolved and that we will pay within days. We are already working on it, and subsidies for literacy teachers will be paid,” he says.
“The issue of subsidies is in fact a legitimate concern. We recognise that it is low, and the amount paid to literacy teachers is already under discussion at ministry level.”
Read: Mozambique: Nyusi launches literacy initiative – AIM
According to Francisco, fewer literacy teachers were recruited this year than in 2020, because of economic problems and the Covid-19 pandemic. In all, 387 literacy teachers were hired, against 439 last year.
