Maputo — The Mozambican Ministry of Education has 500 million meticais (7.8 million dollars at the current exchange rate) available to conclude the construction of unfinished schools.

According to the Minister of Education, Carmelita Namashulua, speaking on Wednesday at the opening of a meeting of her Ministry's Coordinating Council, the amount will prioritize buildings that are already more than 50 per cent complete.

"School infrastructures and their equipment remain a priority for the education sector', the minister said, explaining that the government's five-year programme envisaged the construction of 3,355 classrooms for primary education, of which 2,791 have been completed, accommodating 278,600 pupils.

"I want to reiterate my exhortation to all provincial managers to be more engaged and swift in building school infrastructure, as was evident in 2021 and 2022', added the minister.

By the end of the first half of the current year, she said, a further 86 classrooms had been built, two secondary schools had been rehabilitated in the northern province of Nampula, and three others had been extended in the southern province of Maputo and the central province of Zambézia.

"It is crucial to involve community leaders, cooperation partners and the population in general so that classes in the open air and classrooms built of flimsy materials can be eliminated', Namashulua said, adding that "as part of the improvement of teaching and learning conditions, the acquisition of 66,070 school desks is planned for this year.

However, the minister also claimed that the delay in the provision of teaching materials, school management, and compliance with programmes are still challenges for the sector.

"There is a need for greater involvement of the private sector to ensure compliance with the activities planned within the teaching and learning process', she said.