Education in Post-Conflict Societies: Angola and Mozambique’s Path to an Accessible and Sovereign Education System – JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN STUDIES

Author:

Gribanova V.V., Grishina N.V.

Abstract:

The article analyzes the current state of education in Angola and Mozambique and the roots of the problems that prevent these countries from achieving true cultural sovereignty—a set of socio-cultural factors that allow the people and the state to form their identity regardless of external influence, preserve historical memory, and adhere to traditional spiritual and moral values; the sovereignty, of which an integral part is а plano a developed, truly national system of education. The authors draw attention to the fact that both countries, which had been Portuguese colonies for many years, had a largely similar legacy of the colonial past by the time of independence. During the period of independent development, both states have made significant progress in eliminating illiteracy and building a system of universal education. But the anti-colonial and civil wars that plagued both Angola and Mozambique for a long time became an obstacle to the economic and socio-political development of these countries, including education. Colonial education was modeled on the metropolis, and its characteristic feature was the almost complete exclusion of the indigenous population from the system of education. A significant barrier to Africans’ access to education was the lack of schools and their insufficient funding, low teaching standards, and racial discrimination. The consequences of the colonial past and the heavy legacy of the civil wars are still making themselves felt today. Foreign partners, including the Russian Federation, are helping both countries to solve existing problems. Russia’s willingness to further develop its long-standing cooperation with Mozambique and Angola in the field of education was stated on the sidelines of the Second Russia-Africa Summit in 2023.

Keywords:

education, Angola, Mozambique, colonialism, discrimination, national language problem, sovereignty

DOI:

10.31132/2412-5717-2025-71-2-5-21

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For citation:

Gribanova V.V., Grishina N.V. (2025). Education in Post-Conflict Societies: Angola and Mozambique’s Path to an Accessible and Sovereign Education System. Journal of the Institute for African Studies. Vol. 11. № 2. Pp. 5–21.https://doi.org/10.31132/2412-5717-2025-71-2-5-21

Для цитирования:

Грибанова В.В., Гришина Н.В. Образование в постконфликтных обществах: путь Анголы и Мозамбика к доступной и суверенной системе обучения. Ученые записки Института Африки РАН. 2025. Том 11. № 2. С. 5–21. https://doi.org/10.31132/2412-5717-2025-71-2-5-21

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