"The problems [in education] are the same. We are talking to the same people, the deaf, we have been talking to them [governors] for more than five years, but we will not get tired, we continue to be concerned about the growing number of children outside the education system", said this Friday the president of the Angolan Students' Movement (MEA), Francisco Teixeira.
Speaking at a press conference about the problems and challenges of the education sector in Angola, the official lamented that there are "more than 9 million children" in the country without access to education and schools without desks, while leaders "show off high-powered vehicles".
For Francisco Teixeira, "it is not justifiable that, in the 21st century, in Angola, a country rich in natural resources", there are still children who attend classes without schoolbooks and others sitting on the floor, due to the lack of desks.
"We are also talking about the lack of books and teaching materials. So far, the State has not been able to explain where the money for books went. Last year, the State spent 5 million dollars on books and this year the same amount, but individuals have stolen the books and no one can explain why," he criticised.
"An Education Free from Political Oppression" was the motto of the press conference, which took place in Luanda.
The president of the MEA considered that education "remains hostage to politicians" and, therefore, "without any progress".
"[Education in Angola] continues without progress, because a good part of the government believes that people have to remain illiterate so that they can continue to enslave, humiliate and trample on them, and [that is] what we do not want," he said.
Teixeira also criticised the authorities' "silence" in the face of the student community's outcry, which has continued year after year, but assured that the MEA will continue to make its voice heard: "Until the deaf hear us, until the mute start talking to us".
He also stated that the "silence" of which they accuse the Angolan authorities is the result of their "arrogance, lack of commitment and patriotism", who acquire "vehicles worth millions of kwanzas" when public schools do not have desks and textbooks.
"It is evil, it is bad faith on the part of this Government that does not invest in education, but we will continue to press for attention to be paid to education", concluded Francisco Teixeira.
