Luanda — The first day of classes in the country was marked by poor student attendance in several public-private general education schools, ANGOP learnt Monday.

In some schools, mainly those located in the urban center of Luanda, few students were seen in the classrooms, compelling the teachers to call on those in charge to take students to schools.

The same occurred to various schools in many localities of the country's provinces, with stress to the northern Cuanza Norte, southern Cunene and eastern Lunda Sul provinces, where few students showed up.

The 2023/2024 academic year was officially opened last Friday in the province of Malanje by the Minister of State for the Social Affairs, Dalva Ringote.

In her speech, the official said more than 1. 5 million new students were expected to join for the first time the education system, representing 17.5 percent.

The first quarter started September 4th and ends on December 15th, 2023, a period that corresponds to 17 weeks, of which 15 are academic, corresponding to 73 days.

The second quarter will begin on January 3rd and end on March 28th, 2024, during which the National Assessment of the 2nd grade (Reading Fluidity Proficiency), National Assessment of the 5th and 8th grades (Learning of Portuguese Language and Mathematics) will take place.

Just as the provincial school games will be held until the 15th of March and for the break of the second quarter, the school zonal games will be held, taking place from the 1st to the 12th of April.

The third quarter begins on April 8th and runs until July 31st, 2024, the period that runs the XII Edition of the Mathematics Olympiads, 6th Edition of the Educational System Sample Fair -Educa- Angola 2024, Mathematical Olympiads of Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), as well as the Final Phase of the 6th Edition of the Physics Olympiads. LIN/HDC/PEM/QB/VIC/NIC