National System of Education

The National System of Education in Mozambique was implemented in the early 1980s, aiming to improve literacy and technical skills for all ages. This system nationalized private and parochial schools to unify the educational structure. While the number of educational centers rapidly increased, the demand for education surpassed the state's capacity. The country faced significant challenges, including the destruction of over 1,000 schools during civil conflict, which temporarily reduced primary school attendance. Despite these setbacks, literacy rates improved significantly after independence, reaching about two-fifths of the population by the mid-1990s, though a gender gap persisted. The national university, Eduardo Mondlane University, is a key institution for higher education.12