Niassa: Over 60% of secondary school students have not enrolled due to lack of money in Lago district

 

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The enrollment process across the country ends on Friday, January 24, but in the Lago district, Niassa province, in northern Mozambique, particularly in secondary schools, the majority of students have still not enrolled due to financial reasons.

This situation is also directly linked to poverty within many families or even to the high enrollment fees applied in the public sector, in a context where many families in Mozambique are facing significant economic challenges.

The ESAM Secondary School plans to enroll 1,214 students from 7th to 12th grade, but as of Thursday, January 23, only 450 students had enrolled, according to the principal.

At the Seli Secondary School, the situation is similar, with few students enrolled. For example, in the 11th grade, the school plans to enroll 275 students, but so far the number is around 80 enrolled. Even in the 7th grade, which does not have an enrollment fee, only a registration fee, there is also low attendance. Of the 175 students expected, only 100 have registered. Agostinho Canjimbe and Anselmo José Ngaunje, the principals of ESAM and Seli Secondary Schools, respectively, point to financial reasons as the cause of this situation.

"The number of enrolled students is still very low, and we believe it is due to lack of money because the guardians have not received their salaries yet. Some cannot even afford to buy the student's process or take the required ID photo," said Anselmo Ngaunje, principal of Seli Secondary School.

In this regard, both school principals are appealing to parents and guardians to make efforts to enroll their children on time, so that the educational sector can have time to organize the classes before the start of the school year, which is scheduled for January 31.

The ESAM Secondary School has stated that it will be forced to extend the enrollment deadline until the opening day to ensure no student is left out.

"We will have to accept students who come after the established deadline, in order to reach the goal of enrolling 1,214 students and make sure no student is left behind," said Agostinho Canjimbe, principal of ESAM Secondary School in Metangula. (Davide Muianga)