In Mozambique, adult illiteracy stands at 45% and is almost twice as common in women than in men. It is more prevalent in rural areas, where 57% of non-literate people live compared to 23% in urban settings.
Illiteracy has a significant impact on the daily lives of individuals. It prevents them from accessing high-paying jobs, as well as equal involvement in their local community, and social and political discourse. It also perpetuates the intergenerational cycle of poverty and slows long-term economic growth.
The Capacity Development for Education (CapED) Programme, UNESCO’s delivery platform for the Education 2030 Agenda, has engaged in efforts to tackle this challenge. CapED is working alongside the government to develop a new curriculum for Primary Education for Youths and Adults, which is currently being piloted in Mozambique. The Programme also builds the capacities of teacher-trainers who will go on to instruct teachers of non-literate adults and youths.
CapED is also supporting a Family Learning Programme, which was originally developed by the Malala Fund. CapED enriched the programme by developing the content of its learning manual, and supported the training of literacy teachers to use this manual.
The Programme’s aims to equip non-literate families with literacy, numeracy and life-skills, such as hygiene techniques, nutrition and parenting. The programme also aims to address the scarcity of early childhood education in Mozambique, as only 4% of under 5-year-olds receive this type of education. The programme, therefore, equips parents with the skills they need to support the early development of their children and prepare them for primary school education through joint learning.
The Family Learning Programme is currently being rolled out in two provinces, Nampula and Maputo. We spoke to some locals of Nampula who have been involved in the Family Learning Programme to hear about their experiences. The province has a population of 6.1 million and over half of adults are non-literate.
Original source: UNESCO
Published on 09 January 2019
