The scholarship program – aimed at students enrolled in the first cycle of secondary education, as well as in the first and second years of youth and adult education at public and private public schools –, according to the minister, also plans to fight against dropping out of school in the aforementioned levels of education, as well as enhancing the increase in the schooling level of adolescents and young people, especially girls, writes Angop.
On the occasion, the holder of the Education portfolio said they were aware of the responsibilities they were assuming: "We are aware of the responsibilities we are assuming, so that, as of today [Thursday], more than 23 thousand students , start receiving their scholarships gradually", she said, quoted by Angop.
According to Angop, after the stage of delivery of the means of payment, there is the supervision of the students' school attendance, with a view to curbing school dropouts and ensuring the completion of training.
At this stage, the municipalities of Viana and Icolo e Bengo, in the capital, and Ambriz and Dande, in Bengo, benefited.
Another of the challenges pointed out by Luísa Grilo concerns the stage of extending the program to the remaining 63 municipalities chosen, in a phased manner, from 2023/2024, writes Angop.
Thus, the minister said that, at this moment, they want to "reinforce the joint commitment assumed". "Right now we want to reinforce the joint commitment assumed by all of us, to make every effort within our reach and thus reduce barriers to access to education and consequently increase completion rates in the first cycle of secondary education, particularly among girls", she said, cited by Angop.
The program – whose official presentation took place in October last year – is part of the Project for the Empowerment of Girls and Learning for All - PAT II, of the Ministry of Education, which was launched on February 18, 2022 by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, and financed by the World Bank, in the amount of 250 million dollars.
