A Safe Return to Learning During COVID-19
USAID supports collective safe reopening of schools in Mozambique
On March 22, 2021, 1,115 students walked into Mulhana Primary School in the Mecuburi district of Nampula, Mozambique for the first time in exactly one year.
Seeing the school filled with students again thrilled Jorge Fernando Alexandre, a teacher and school director in Mulhana.
“In my 18 years of experience, I cannot recall another time when we didn’t have classes for such a long time,” Alexandre said. “I couldn’t wait to see my students again.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck Mozambique in March 2020, approximately 8.5 million students stopped attending school. While it was a necessary measure to protect the health of students and teachers, the school closures negatively impacted an already challenged education system. Only half of Mozambican children complete primary school, and less than 5 percent of Grade 3 students demonstrate grade-level reading proficiency.
Just before schools closed, teachers and school directors also gave out reading materials for students to take home just before schools closed. The education community also made efforts to support children to learn at home through online platforms, and local radio and TV lessons. However, only 10 percent of Mozambique’s population has access to the internet, and many of these measures did not reach most learners, including students at Mulhana Primary.
“An entire year without in-person classes could potentially mean that many children simply never return to class,” Alexandre said.
Working towards a safe school reopening
Mulhana Primary is one of the nearly 2,000 schools supported by USAID’s bilingual early grade reading program, Vamos Ler!/Let´s Read!. Working in partnership with Mozambique’s Ministry of Education since 2016, school directors like Alexandre, receive training on topics such as leadership, effective communication, building strong school-community relations, and day-to-day school operations as part of the program strategy to strengthen school management and governance. This is crucial to improving learning outcomes.
COVID-19 put school leaders’ skills and training to the test in an unprecedented scenario.
When the government of Mozambique announced a plan to reopen schools, teachers and school directors led preparations to ensure their schools would meet the minimum standards of safety and sanitation outlined by the government. Mulhana Primary was one of the first schools in the district to pass the government readiness assessment.
Safe reopening depended on collaboration between school leadership, parents, and members of the community. School councils — comprised of teachers, parents, students, religious leaders, and other community influencers — played an integral role in strengthening the relationship between the school and the community. Together, they raised community awareness about the start of the school year and the importance of measures that prevent COVID-19 transmission, including keeping the school disinfected and mask wearing.
A core objective of Vamos Ler! is fostering parental and community engagement to transform schools into responsive centers of learning, care, and support. Previous investment into this work paved the way for directors like Alexandre to rely on these solid relationships to ensure schools could reopen safely.
“Because in recent years we have been working very closely together to promote support for bilingual education in our school, and parents have seen the results firsthand, they were eager to give all the necessary support to prepare our school,” he said.
Back in the classroom
Mulhana Primary School looks different this year. Students wait in line to wash their hands before going into the classrooms. Students and teachers are always masked. Temperatures are taken daily, and the number of students per classroom is reduced.
However, students are present; they are learning in person. Children, now adapted to the added safety measures, are excited to be back in the classroom and learning.
“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this moment in global education is pivotal,” says USAID Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator LeAnna Marr.
“Millions of children worldwide have been forced out of school, and marginalized populations have been the most disproportionately impacted. Despite the pandemic, in 2020 USAID reached more than 24 million children at the primary and secondary level. These investments are paying off — they are providing millions of learners with access to education.”
“I know that the challenges that we will face this year will not end just because students are back in school. I am sure there will be more hurdles. But for now, I am happy to be back in my school in a safe environment,” said Alexandre.
His dedicated and creative leadership is not only having a positive impact on Mulhana Primary School, but also on many others: the District Education Office tasked Alexandre with the responsibility of supporting other schools in the district to prepare and ensure they are adhering to the reopening guidelines.
About the Author
Fernanda Matsinhe is a Senior Program Support and Reporting Coordinator with Vamos Ler/Let’s Read.
