Education is a basic human right, a public good and an essential prerequisite for building responsible citizens who can contribute to the development of the country. Humana People to People, an organization of which ADPP is a member, has been continuously training teachers for about 30 years, mainly for public primary schools where they are most needed.
However, the OVID-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call to make education systems more crisis-resistant, and more inclusive, flexible, sustainable and resilient. It has also demonstrated the capacity of systems to innovate by expanding the boundaries of learning possibilities; the enterprise of teachers to ensure continuity in learning; and highlighted the immense value that education has for students, families and communities.
Our teacher training institutions have adapted their training approaches in line with the OVID-19 pandemic emergency. We have opted for classroom de-bottlenecking, migrating to virtual learning as a measure to promote physical detachment, the wearing of face masks, and hand sanitization in times of relaxed isolation measures by local governments.
Recently, ADPP Mozambique chose to use radio and television broadcasting to provide bilingual education through the School Feeding Project, now ending, to reach thousands of primary school children in Maputo.
In Manica, ADPP in partnership with Word Jewish Relief (WJR), and in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH), with funds from the Start Fund, have been supporting primary schools in Chimoio district since last December to create the conditions for a safe resumption of classes and to ensure compliance with OVID-19 prevention measures.
Despite the many initiatives at the microeconomic level carried out in remote communities, there is a need to strengthen partnerships and actions to assume shared responsibility in safeguarding education following the OVID-19 attack and other future impacts.