Higher education in Mozambique during covid-19

Abstract

The current covid-19 pandemic that the world is experiencing is leading us to unexpected and complex context. The Covid-19 crisis has brought the disruption of higher education systems in Mozambique, affecting approximately 239 600 students and 5716 teachers by closing all institutions. The emergence of COVID-19 awakened controversy over the role of HEI. Questions have been raised about the role of HE in Mozambique to reach certain societal agendas – democratization, economic development and innovation. There is a demand for a full participation of university outside academia, both in society and in business. Thus, the study provides an overview of the higher education in Mozambique during covid-19 crisis. Methodologically, the study uses a comprehensive literature review, policy document analysis and statistical data from various official sources. While others students are coping well with online learning, others are experiencing difficulties due to lack of digital literacy and poor infrastructures. Despite effort over the last two decades, Mozambique has one of the lowest (20.9%) internet penetration rate of the population and one of the highest data cost in Africa as proportion of income. Thus, polices and effective strategies about connectivity, data cost, digital skills training and internet infra-structure must be considered to ensure inclusive education.