Draft Culture of Peace Programme in Mozambique 33-38

PROJECT PROFILE 3.0

The educational system of Mozambique, which had previously developed into one of the most advanced in Africa, was almost completely decimated by the war. Whereas in 1981 87% of the appropriate age-group were in school, in 1993 just under 40%. In the last decade, 3,200 schools were destroyed or abandoned. While before the war 40% of the national budget was devoted to education and only 4% to the military, as a result of the war the proportions have been reversed.

In 1992, the Ministry of Education undertook a process of developing a revised plan for the long-term development of basic education, envisaging substantial and radical changes. Their conclusions, which may be found in A Master Plan for Basic Education in Mozambique (February 1994), include proposals for decentralization, privatization, reorganization of teacher training, a creation of community committees and community schools, and sweeping curricular changes.

Given the process of reorganization and decentralization of the educational system, this is a propitious moment to involve teachers and pupils in the peace process of Mozambique in a way that enables them to fully engage their own local perspectives, traditions, and creativity.

Rather than trying to find additional staff or add curricular subjects to a system which is already overburdened with responsibilities, the culture of peace is to be introduced through in-service teacher training and including of culture of peace content in other subjects such as history, geography, and language learning.

Much of the project is based on the results of a study mission undertaken by DANIDA and UNESCO in May 1994.

This project will emphasize training and support for Mozambican teachers within the structure of community schools.

It will be guided by a Resource Panel, including representatives from the Ministry of Education, the National Institute for Educational Development (INDE), the Institute for Social Communication, Editora Escolar, the Organization of Mozambican Women, the Movement for Peace, and the National Commission of UNESCO.

Two Mozambican course organizers and two text writers will be trained in workshops. In turn, the course organizers will then conduct in-service training for teachers and student teachers and the text writers will prepare teaching manuals and student textbooks on peace education and civic education (including human rights and democracy). Training will emphasize participation by the teachers themselves and full utilization of their previously gained community and classroom experience. It will encourage a participative approach to education which the teachers can then employ in the classroom as well. Courses will involve Mozambican scholars, educators, and peace activists to ensure that the training fully reflects national traditions and experience.

In addition to training seminars, materials on the culture of peace will be produced and broadcast by radio for the distance education of teachers.

Specific information will be included in the various training programmes for assistance to war-traumatized children who have psychological problems.

Community schools throughout the country will be linked up with the Associated Schools Project of UNESCO in order to connect them with schools and students in other countries, with an emphasis on issues of peace and participation. Basic education materials will be provided to these schools as well as those whose teachers have been trained through the Project.

At the end of two years, a national conference will be held to present and analyze the results of the Project, to sensitize the educational system to the issues involved, and to develop future planning for extension of the educational process to the entire country.

A special initiative will be launched to prepare curriculum revision in the subjects of history and geography. In conjunction with the Ministry of Education, Edouardo Mondlane University and the Higher Pedagogical Institute, a series of regional and national seminars will be held to recommend changes so that these subjects reflect Mozambican history and experience and the complex contributions of all sectors of society in terms of the culture of peace as well as war.

An annual national contest will be held for the most creative productions for peace by students in the areas of creative writing and the plastic arts.

Teachers trained under this project will have the opportunity to take part in the network of "peace promoters" who are trained in all projects of the Culture of Peace Programme, both in terms of special in-service training and follow-up seminars and its system of communication.

Studies will be carried out in the framework of the project by Mozambican research organizations independent of the executing agencies in order to study the context of the educational activities, evaluate the effectiveness of these activities and propose recommendations for future project development.

Summary of Activities:

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