Education Task for All of Society 28-04-2004   Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa Diogo stressed in Maputo on Tuesday that education is not only what children learn in schools, but also what the younger generations pick up from the behaviour of society at large.

"Samora Machel (Mozambique's first president) used to say that education is a task for all of us. It's not only teachers who transmit knowledge - learning is also acquired from the behaviour of each citizen", She said.

Diogo was addressing a group of about 50 children, bearing a message for her on the occasion of the "week for education for all".

Diogo asked her young audience to understand that Mozambique is a poor country, but that each of its children should grow up valuing the national independence won at a cost of great sacrifice. "This is the wealth that should be made use of for the grandeur of the country", she said.

Diogo promised that the government will try to solve problems that often mean that teachers are unable to give their best in the classroom. Top of these problems is the low wages they earn which, despite repeated complaints, are still not being paid on time in parts of the country.

"Teachers' behaviour is dictated by the problems they may face. We in the government understand this situation, and we will do everything we can to solve those problems, she said. She also promised that the government will work to minimise other problems affecting the education sector. She mentioned specifically the distances many children have to walk from their homes to reach the nearest school, the late distribution of school material, and the increasing number of orphans - largely a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

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