Mozambique's government has not yet adopted a dedicated policy for bringing artificial intelligence tools into schools, according to a personal essay published by Global Voices in its The Bridge section. The author asks what role AI can play in a system that, across many parts of the country, still lacks the fundamentals. The essay's answer is that building schools, training teachers and supplying basic materials must come first, with technology treated as a strategic complement.
Advocates cited in the piece say the state could take a leading part in making technology part of everyday school life. According to the essay, such a role would mean spending on teacher training, guaranteeing basic infrastructure, widening access to energy and deepening ties with universities, startups and international organisations. The author lists offline tools, pre-loaded content and digital teaching assistants as possible ways to ease the system's shortcomings.
Two obstacles: internet access and language
Weak connectivity stands out among the hurdles. Citing 2024 figures from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the essay says roughly 73 percent of Mozambicans are not online. That gap constrains options such as remote teaching and digital learning platforms, and regional disparities hold back such efforts despite some recent gains, the author writes.
Language poses a further challenge. Of the more than 2,000 languages used across Africa, only about 49 are available on services such as Google's translation tool, the essay says. Within Mozambique, 81.7 percent of people mostly use a Bantu language at home, while 41.9 percent cannot speak Portuguese at all, even though it is the country's only official language. Activists contend that favouring Portuguese in the media, state communications and health services excludes much of the population. The author argues that learning tools in Emakhuwa, Xichangana or Elomwe could boost understanding among younger pupils, while acknowledging practical difficulties where technology remains scarce. Startups in Johannesburg are cited as already building AI products for African languages.
Lessons held outdoors
The backdrop is a school network under strain. In many communities, pupils are taught beneath trees, in improvised yards or under fragile shelters, which the essay attributes to missing infrastructure and materials and to an estimated shortfall of around 12,000 teachers in 2025. Such scenes are common in rural districts of Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Zambézia, where blackboards and textbooks are often lacking and one teacher is frequently in charge of several classes.
Weather adds disruption. Between roughly November and March, heavy rain halts lessons and forces calendar changes in several regions, according to the essay. Education Minister Samaria Tovela has been considering timetable changes, it says, because rain interrupts classes while extreme heat makes it hard for pupils to concentrate.
Global Voices notes that views in The Bridge do not necessarily reflect those of its community as a whole.
Sources
- Global Voices (CC BY 3.0)
