School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
School leaders in Mozambique are referred to as “director de escola” or school directors. The School Director is primarily responsible for the school's governance. They are responsible for ensuring the achievement of educational objectives, the good performance of all participants in the school community and the achievement of quality standards defined by the education system and current legislation.
Documents such as Mozambique’s 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy use the term “Gestão Escolar” or school managers. For this profile, both terms will be used.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
The 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy consists of role descriptions. Although an official national competency standard for school leaders was not found, a 2010 official document developed by the Ministry of Civil Service defines the competencies of a school director, deputy director and administrative director, differentiating between basic education and secondary education.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: According to a document developed by the Ministry of Civil Service (2010), the school director coordinates, plans, and controls the educational institution. They execute the decisions and guidelines of the higher structures of the Ministry of Education while working together with the school council and local bodies of state power in the territory in which the school is located. The school director is expected to comply with and enforce laws, orders, regulations, and instructions from the local and national education offices. They resolve cases within the school and are expected to make reports on the school as well. The director develops work plans for the school in collaboration with the school board. Furthermore, the director is required to regularly inform the School Council and the District and Municipal Education Directorate, through reports and other conventional means, about the teaching situation, the school's achievements and difficulties and proposes appropriate measures.
Developing teaching and learning: School directors in Mozambique are expected to ensure scientific, technical, and pedagogical direction in compliance with study plans and teaching programs officially approved by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The director also manages the school's material and financial resources.
Promoting collaboration: Mozambique’s 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy, states that teachers and managers are accountable to the school and the surrounding community. They are expected to work together with the school council, promoting the development of a democratic and participative environment with the community
Supporting staff development: The 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy aims to promote participatory and transparent management that results in the development of a pedagogical culture favorable to the professional well-being of teachers, early childhood educators and trainers for effective learning for children, young people and adults.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: Mozambique’s 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy includes a section titled “Obligations and accountability” which states that all educators are expected to follow the code of conduct under the responsibility of the school council. According to the 2020-2029 Education Strategic Plan, ethic morals are important for all educators to understand.
Others: According to Mozambique’s 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy, teachers should be able to use information and communication technology in their daily work lives. School management may benefit from the implementation of a digital platform that ensures the management of educational information and gradually involves all institutions of the subsystems, types and levels of education and training.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
A director of a secondary school must have psycho-pedagogical training, at least of bachelor's degree or equivalent, and at least 5 years of experience in teaching. In the case of not having 5 years of experience, the individual needs to be included in the special regime of Education career and have a service classification, in the last three years, no less than "Good". It must have exercised at least the functions of class director at this level, or at least, the functions of Deputy Pedagogical Director at other levels of education.
The director of a primary school must also psycho-pedagogical training, minimum qualifications of medium level or equivalent, and at least 5 years of experience in teaching. In case of non-compliance with these requirements, it can be an N4 Teacher with more than 10 years of teaching experience and have participated in at least five pedagogical training courses. The director must have a service rating, in the last three years of no less than “Good.” It is also important that prior to taking on the role, the person must have held management functions in the pedagogical sector at a level immediately below that of the Deputy Pedagogical Director.
The 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy states that management functions at all levels are assumed by qualified and competent teachers, early childhood educators and trainers, capable of presenting development projects, which involve community involvement and the evaluation of their performance. The 2020-2029 Education Strategic Plan noted a need to rethink other selection criteria for management positions, since despite there being a qualifier to appoint directors, some of them fall short of expectations to ensure efficient and effective management. In the future, the country may put into place different standards for school managers
Appointment decision
The 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy states that the assumption of management positions should follow democratic criteria. The strategy aims to create new mechanisms for the appointment process; however, further information was not found. The 2020-2029 Education Strategic Plan called for a move towards hiring directors through competitions, where competitors will be able to present a concrete project for managing an institution. Further details were not found.
Employment equity measures
Mozambique’s 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy, seeks to establish mechanisms for recruiting teachers, early childhood educators and trainers, based on fair criteria that recognize the development and effective application of professional skills. It also states that the profiles and mechanisms for recruitment, selection and allocation of managers of institutions at all levels must observe skills, inclusion and gender equity. The 2020-2029 Education Strategic Plan does mentions a disparity regarding school management, with women representing only 17%. The plan calls for gender equity in all aspects of the plan’s implementation while being in alignment with the 2016-2020 Gender Education Strategy which defined medium-term actions to promote gender equality in Education.
Working conditions
Teachers in Mozambique are considered civil servants. Working conditions vary depending on the school’s location and type. Salaries are based on Decree No. 31/2022. A director of a primary school is under category 11A, while a director of basic education school is categorized as 12, earning a salary of 42,758 MZN and 46,758 MZN respectively (669 and 731 USD).
The 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy mentions that certain types of training institutions must mobilize teachers, kindergarten teachers and trainers to join to the trade union movement and to create associations and CP, with a view to exchanging impressions about the profession.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
In Mozambique, the Teacher Education and Training Subsystem regulates teacher training for the different levels of the education system. Teachers are usually trained by the Institutes of Teacher's Training (IFPs) and the Pedagogic University (UP) in Mozambique. The National Directorate of Teacher Training is responsible for the promotion and coordination of the training of school managers and inspectors. The 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy states that holders of management positions all receive an induction action prior to assuming their positions. These induction actions for managers and technical-administrative staff will consist of various themes linked to the functioning of teaching and training, as preparation for the start of duties and their ongoing training. In 2013 the manager training course was created, which initially operated in 3 Teacher Training Institutes (north, center and south), with a curriculum and materials designed for this purpose and lasting 30 days.
Induction and in-service training
In-service training is coordinated by the National Directorate of Teacher Training. Other NGOs such as the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) also provide training to teachers and school leaders. Mozambique’s 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy, which applies to school directors, guarantees the professionalization of teachers and ensures their quality education through continuous training. The policy also calls for the continuous training of those who hold management positions. The 2020-2029 Education Strategic Plan also calls for the improvement of in-service training for school managers to strengthen their management capacity.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
The 2018 National Education System Law No.18 states that the “school-community connection is made through the School Council, the school's consultation, monitoring and inspection body.” The school council is made up of members which includes parents/guardians, students, teachers, community leaders and non-teaching staff. Within the scope of the school-community link, parents and/or guardians and the community in general, may, in the interest of developing and improving school conditions, and voluntarily, provide necessary support to schools. The director is expected to participate in the school council.
The School Council is the highest body of the educational establishment, and its functions are to regulate the principles of educational institutions and the respective goals established at various levels. The body is established to guarantee its good performance in management while being democratic, supportive and co-responsible.
3.2. Middle leaders
Teachers can take on functions such as the head of the department and the section head. The 2023-2032 Teacher Policy and Implementation Strategy aimed to design a Structure and Trajectory of Teacher Professional Careers based on the mastery of professional skills and their implementation in the learning environment to generate effective learning for children. It helps to determine the progression and promotion of teachers and is the basis for determining teacher salary. The Professional Career Path for Teachers will determine their insertion, progression and promotion of a teacher’s career, based on the principles of performance assessment. It has yet to be developed and as such, further information has not been found.
3.3. Parents
The 2018 National Education System Law No.18 state that “parents, guardians, families, economic and social institutions and local authorities contribute to the success of basic education, promoting the enrollment of school age children, supporting them in their studies, avoiding absenteeism and withdrawals.” However, no specific information regarding a parent teacher association was found. Parents can participate in the school’s governing system through the school council, which contains parent representatives.
Decree-Law No. 79/2019 states that “within the scope of the school-community liaison, parents and/or guardians and the community in general, may, in the interest of developing and improving school conditions, and on a voluntary basis, provide necessary support to schools”.
3.4. Students
No information was found regarding a student lead governance organization. However, students are able to participate in the school governance through the school council, which also contains student members.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
The director prepares and submits the school's annual budget proposal for consideration to the Board of Directors prior to seeking the approval of the municipal or district Education office. The director also is responsible for managing the budget and its execution. The school plan is developed with the school board and is not the responsibility of the director. The school director is able to adjust the pedagogical direction of the school as long as it remains in line with the Ministry of Education’s direction and the national curriculum. It does not seem they can choose or add to the curriculum.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
The National Directorate of Teacher Training is responsible for the pedagogical and administrative supervision of educational institutions. They develop the guiding rules and regulations for the evaluation system of teachers. They also design the criteria and indicators for the evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the education provided in the institutions.
The 2020-2029 Education Strategic Plan called for the implementation of the assessment mechanism for performance of managers. However, further details were not yet found.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
The school director conducts the evaluation of teachers and other school workers in accordance with legislation.
