Teacher absenteeism in primary schools in Zambezia province, Mozambique (2015-2016)

an analysis of its implications

Abstract

The present study was conducted in Mozambique, or, more specifically, in the province of Zambezia, in the primary schools of the Gilé and Ile districts. Taking into account that teacher absenteeism in the two above-mentioned districts is widespread, it is urgent to question its implications for the teaching and learning process. Specifically, the study discusses the causes and types of teacher absenteeism from school; proposes some solutions to overcome it. For these reasons, the relevance of the text lies, on the one hand, in its possibility of denouncing the practice of school absenteeism within Mozambican education at the primary schools and, on the other, in awakening the development of new research leading to the understanding of the phenomenon and its causes. From the methodological point of view, the study was based on an exploratory research, based on a qualitative and quantitative approach and on bibliographic and documentary consultation. The results indicate that primary school teachers' absenteeism in schools in the above-mentioned districts has two dimensions: one, linked to individual motivations; another, inherent in institutional questions. On the other hand, absenteeism in Mozambican education has contributed negatively to the quality of education and the increase in dropout rates.