The Basic Education Curriculum in Mozambique: progress or setbacks?

Abstract

This article examines the impacts of reforms in basic education, based on qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with four primary school teachers in the Manica district. The results reveal that: while teachers in urban schools tend to report more favorable perceptions regarding active methods, mastery of the Portuguese language, and curricular structure, teachers in rural areas express greater skepticism, highlighting the persistence of difficulties in reading, coherent text production, and, above all, in adapting content to the sociocultural and linguistic context of the children. It concludes that, despite undeniable normative advances, the effective implementation of curricular innovations remains limited by material and logistical constraints, and teacher training that have not been addressed. Urban-rural disparities not only persist but tend to be exacerbated when reforms are implemented without robust mechanisms for balancing resources and providing differentiated support to the most vulnerable contexts.