Angola Prepares New Social Education Programme to Expand Access and Improve Quality

Angolan Defence Minister Joao Lourenco(L) and Angolan president (not in picture) sing the party anthem during the ordinary meeting of the central committee of Angolan Ruling party Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) to decide on the candidates list for the upcoming presidential elections on February 3, 2017 in Luanda. Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos's announcement that he will step down bringing to an end a 37-year reign marked by an unrelenting authoritarian style. Though seldom seen in public, he has been a looming presence in daily life for as long as most Angolans can remember, maintaining fierce control over the country throughout its devastating civil war and recent oil boom. Now aged 74, and in reportedly poor health, Dos Santos became president in 1979, making him Africa's second-longest serving leader -- one month shy of Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Joao Lourenco, Dos Santos's defence minister, was named as the ruling party's candidate to run in the president's place in August elections. / AFP PHOTO / AMPE ROGERIO

The Angolan Presidency is set to launch a social education programme intended to enhance access to education, reduce illiteracy, and improve the quality of teaching nationwide. The move was announced on Wednesday, October 15, during the state of the nation address by the Angolan Head of State, J. Lourenço.
The initiative will emphasise education in underserved and rural areas, and will involve constructing or rehabilitating schools, increasing the number of teachers, and ensuring curricula and educational materials meet international standards. It replaces or complements earlier efforts such as the “Expansão e Modernização do Sistema de Ensino” and aligns with broader government commitments to improve infrastructure, reduce classroom shortages, and expand school enrolment.
Officials see this programme as part of Angola’s larger strategy of social inclusion and human capital development, reinforcing past programmes like “Empoderamento da Rapariga e Aprendizagem para Todos” (Empowering Girls & Learning for All) and other special education interventions. The new measures are expected to be implemented over a multi-year time frame, with funding, legal instruments, and institutional coordination defined to ensure the programme reaches its intended coverage and delivers lasting improvement in educational outcomes.