Country

Angola

A Portuguese colony for nearly 500 years, Angola acceded to independence before enduring a brutal 27-year civil war that finally came to conclusion in 2002. In the wake of the protracted conflict, countless numbers of people died, were displaced internally or fled seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Additionally, the war left the country’s infrastructure in utter ruin and disrepair. As a result, almost an entire generation of Angolans were left illiterate, having grown up without the opportunity for an education. Since the end of the war, the country’s population has doubled and currently stands at 24.4 million – half of which are adolescents under the age of 14. At present, Angola ranks 149th out of 188 countries on the UN Human Development Index and has one of the highest infant mortality rates (one in 6 Angolan children die before the age of 5) in the world.

Angola
source(s): UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report 2013/14

Main Barriers to Education

  • Poverty
  • Rural Residence
  • Shortage of Schools
  • Lack of Learning Materials

Interventions to Barriers

  • School  Construction
  • Government Collaboration
  • Community Ownership
  • Provision of Teaching and Learning Materials

In spite of the country’s demographic challenges, the government has acknowledged the importance of education and prioritised student enrolment, teacher recruitment and investment in school infrastructure through the framework of its Education for All National Action Plan. However, development efforts have been somewhat uneven, as urban centres of the country have garnered significant attention, whilst swaths of rural Angola are still in need of reform and support.

Of the issues plaguing the country’s education sector, poverty and the lingering adverse effects of war are formidable barriers. In addition, rural residence, overcrowded classrooms, a severe shortage of schools, learning materials, bathroom facilities and teachers also make a child’s path to education in Angola difficult.

To increase access to quality primary education amongst Angola’s most marginalised out of school children, EAC has partnered with RISE International. Specific project interventions include: identifying locations for school construction in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE) officials and local authorities; providing teaching and learning materials; collaborating with government officials to recruit, hire and deploy teachers to project schools; and dedicating and handing over completed schools to the MOE and target community, reinforcing the role and involvement of the target community.

Geographic Location: Southern Africa

Languages: Portuguese (official), Chokwe, Fiote, Kikongo, Kimbundu, Kwanhama, Luvale, Muhumbi, Nhaneca, Nganguela, Umbundu

Year added: 
2017

Partners

RISE International

EAC and RISE International have teamed up to provide 24,000 out of school children (OOSC) in Angola’s Benguela, Bié and Luanda provinces with quality primary education.
Learn more