Maputo — Mozambique's National Association of Teachers (ANAPRO) has threatened to boycott the ceremonies marking the start of the 2024 school year unless by then they have received the overtime payments due to them.
The teachers claim that more than 13 months of overtime are in arrears, and accuse Education Minister Carmelita Namashalua of lying about the payments.
Teachers from Maputo and Matola, and some from other provinces who are on holiday in the two cities, took to the streets on Wednesday, with placards, slogans and songs, demanding payment.
"We are fed up with humiliation', said ANAPRO chairperson Isac Marengula, cited by the independent television station STV. "We are demanding our rights. They aren't paying us for overtime. We are demanding improved working conditions'.
Marengula warned that, "if the government does not respond to our demands, we shall not be present for the opening of the school year throughout the country'.
Demonstrators recalled that recently Namashalua had said that overtime is being gradually paid, but this was simply untrue. "The Minister lied', said one of the protestors. "She said they were paying overtime, but none of the teachers here has received any payment'.
The police initially tried to abort the demonstration, demanding that the teachers should not march past the Maputo provincial directorates of education and of finance.
But, after negotiations, the demonstration went ahead under police protection.
The spokesperson for the Education Ministry, Manuel Simbine, told STV that the failure to pay teachers for the overtime they had worked was entirely the responsibility of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
He also stuck to Namashalua's line that the payments are being gradually made but did not say where, or how many teachers have benefitted from them so far.
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"The payment for overtime has already begun, as the Minister announced', he insisted. "There are schools that have already been paid. What we can add is that payment is being made in a phased manner, as the Ministry of Economy and Finance guaranteed'.
Despite the teachers' protests, Simbine said everything is ready for the start of the 2024 school year on 31 January, including the hiring of new staff.
"Every year we hire new teachers, depending on the budget', he said. "This year we intend to hire a further 2,803 teachers, and the tenders will begin soon'.
Enrolment for the first grade of primary school ended on 29 December - but Simbine admitted that far fewer than the expected 1.6 million children had enrolled. He did not give an exact figure - only that "more than a million' children had enrolled in first grade.
Enrolment will not be extended, he said, "since we have to comply with the calendar for the school year'. Nonetheless, if parents approached the nearest school, and explained why they had not enrolled their child, "we shall open exceptions so that no children remain outside the schools'.
