TRENDS AND CHALLENGES OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN MOZAMBIQUE (1975-2016)

TitleTRENDS AND CHALLENGES OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN MOZAMBIQUE (1975-2016)
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsBussotti, L, Bussotti, P
JournalProblems of Education in the 21st Century
Volume75
Issue5
Start Page434-451
PaginationContinuous
Date PublishedOctober/2017
Type of ArticleOriginal article
ISSN1822-7864
Other NumbersE-ISSN 2538-7111
Keywordsethnomatematics, international agencies, mathematics education, Mozambique, school reforms, teaching methods
Abstract

Mathematics has always been a difficult issue, especially in the African countries. Mozambique is not an exception. This country had been colonized by Portugal until 1975. When the independence was obtained, a socialist regime was adopted (1977). The learning of mathematics entered the struggle against colonial and imperialistic ideas. Its best ally was Paulus Gerdes, one of the most relevant ethnomatematicians of the world, who carried out an intense promotion of this approach to mathematics in Mozambican school system. Albeit the great international impact of Gerdes’ ideas, Mozambique never implemented his methodology. When, at the end of the 80s, the country changed from socialism to liberalism, voting a democratic Constitution in 1990, its school system was aligned to the measures of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB). The most recent ones are represented by the Millennium Development Goals. Despite the various reforms of Mozambican school system, the results of Mozambican children in mathematics are among the worst in Africa. The reasons of such a failure are here explained, through a historical approach based on national documents. The most recent experiences of school reform carried out by international agencies together with national institutions are stressed. The negative results obtained by the Mozambican learners as to mathematics are due to several reasons: 1) a lack of consideration of the Mozambican cultural substrate; 2) an improper massification of the school system, where the quality of instruction has been neglected; 3) the specific choice to marginalize mathematics education.

URLhttp://oaji.net/articles/2017/457-1509895430.pdf
DOI10.33225/pec/17.75.434
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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