Covid-19 Forces Confinement of Over 13 Million Pupils - President

Government of Angola issued the following announcement on October 23.

The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, Thursday said that more than 13 million pupils enrolled in this school year are temporarily confined as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.

These figures were put forward by the Angolan Head of State, in a communication, via video conference, at the Extraordinary Session of UNESCO's Global Meeting on Education.

According to President João Lourenço, in the face of this situation, Angola has implemented measures to reverse the situation in several areas of social life, with emphasis on the education system.

Regarding the measures in the education system, he underlined that the Angolan Executive drew up a school calendar readjusted with the respective minimum programmes and methodological guidelines.

According to the readjusted calendar, on 5 October classes began in university education and with the transition classes of 1st and 2nd cycles of secondary education (6th, 9th, 12th and 13th grades).

On 19 October students in the 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th grades, both still in the 2nd cycle of secondary education, started.

Classes in primary and 1st cycle education start on 26 October.

Still in the field of education, the Head of State said that an inclusive programme is also under way to give greater opportunity to girls to access school, especially in rural areas that, due to cultural barriers and social stereotypes, are marginalized from an early age and pushed into child labour and early pregnancy.

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