Educational Disparities in Mozambique

An Empirical Analysis of Access, Quality, and Equity

Abstract

Despite concerted efforts to improve its education system, Mozambique continues to grapple with profound educational disparities that hinder national development and individual opportunity. This empirical study investigates the multifaceted nature of these disparities by analyzing the intersecting dimensions of access, quality, and equity within the primary and secondary education sectors. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates quantitative data from national household surveys and ministerial statistics with qualitative insights from interviews conducted with educators, policymakers, and community leaders in three provinces. The findings reveal that while nominal access to primary education has expanded, significant barriers persist for rural, female, and economically disadvantaged learners, leading to high dropout rates. More critically, the analysis exposes a severe quality deficit, characterized by overcrowded classrooms, insufficient instructional materials, and variable teacher preparedness, which disproportionately affects the same marginalized groups. The study argues that addressing access without concurrently tackling the quality crisis perpetuates systemic inequity and undermines the transformative potential of education. The significance of this research lies in its empirical demonstration of how these intertwined challenges sustain a cycle of exclusion. It concludes that for Mozambique, and by extension other similar African nations, a holistic policy framework that simultaneously targets infrastructural gaps, teacher development, and targeted support for vulnerable populations is imperative for achieving the equitable, quality education envisioned in continental agendas like the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25).