In the manifesto presented this Friday at a press conference, the MEA emphasizes that Angolans were recently surprised by a measure announced by the Government, together with the National Association of Private Education and the Association of Private Higher Education Institutions of Angola, which authorizes private universities and general private education to increase the value of tuition fees and fees by up to 20.74 percent.
In his speech, the president of the MEA, Francisco Teixeira, said that the movement does not accept that people do not study due to lack of money, considering that "it is unfair" and "that is what the Government is doing".
"The Angolan political elite has this project, they understand that if people study they will confront them, they will have the courage to say certain things to their faces and they do not want that. The message to the president [of the Republic] is that we are here, we will not accept injustice, we will fight to the bitter end", he said.
For the MEA, this decision, "taken in a context of high economic pressure, youth unemployment and loss of purchasing power for families, represents a real blow to access to education in Angola".
"We believe that this measure not only worsens social inequalities but also puts the academic future of thousands of young people at risk, especially those from low-income families. An education that should be a right for all becomes an inaccessible privilege", they emphasize.
The manifesto also emphasizes that "education cannot be treated as a business pure and simple", emphasizing that private education exists as a complement to public education, however, "it must respect principles of inclusion, equity and social responsibility".
"The authorization of disproportionate increases, without guaranteeing the quality of education, is a direct affront to the education enshrined in our Constitution", they state.
The movement also criticizes the decision-making "without real dialogue with the main stakeholders", students and families.
The MEA also demands the creation of a dialogue council between the Government, educational institutions, students and those responsible, to discuss the fairest financing model, as well as rigorous monitoring of the quality of education in private institutions, "ensuring that students receive a return on their investment".
According to the movement, many students are dropping out of school due to lack of conditions and the new increase will only make this situation worse.
"With stagnant wages, rising inflation and youth unemployment, how can a family be expected to support another 20 percent increase, this measure is not only technically unjustifiable, it is socially unsustainable and ethically unacceptable", they state.
The Angolan Student Movement guarantees that it is not against the private education sector, as it is an important complement to public education, but defends "a balanced, fair and socially conscious model, proposing that private institutions be required to report their accounts and that the social grant system be strengthened to ensure greater access for students.
"We are aware that changing this reality requires struggle, dialogue and mobilization. The MEA is prepared to engage in dialogue with the authorities, but also to mobilize students in an organized, peaceful and orderly manner, if our demands continue to be ignored", he stressed.
"We will not accept that education becomes a privilege for a few, we will fight with all our strength for an Angola where studying is not a luxury, but a right", they added, reaffirming that the MEA "will not remain silent in the face of the commercialization of education".
