As of 2018, the government reviewed its National Education System Law which facilitated the recognition of preschool as a sub-sector of education, but not a requirement for enrolment into primary school. There are a few pre-schools in Mozambique, of which most of them are quite costly and a limited number of people can afford. Pre-primary education is offered by crèches and kindergarten schools.
- Duration of study: 2 years
- Primary Languages: Portuguese
- Semesters : 3
- Admission Term: 1st Term (February)
- Pre-School Types: Public, community, and Private.
Is pre-school education necessary in Mozambique?
Pre-school education is one of the most important aspects of a child's life. It offers the basis or foundation of their education and gives them a head start in life. Early gaps in cognitive skills and overall development can affect a child’s capacity and motivation to learn upon entering primary school. Although there are a few pre-schools in Mozambique, the government is making strides to ensure that pre-school education is provided. Here are some of the reasons why pre-education is important:
- It prepares students for primary education
- It helps reduce equity gaps by providing children with similar opportunities to learn
- students develop cognitive, emotional, social, and physical skills.
- It Develops the children's motor, language, and thinking skills
- It helps children to develop independence and confidence to do things on their own with minimal supervision.
- It equips children with pre-writing and pre-reading skills
- It generally helps students to get used to the school environment and provides a smooth transition from the home to the school.
Pre-primary education in Mozambique provides for the care and education of children from 1 year to about 6 years and involves elements of both physical care and education.
Let us take a brief look into some schools that offer pre-primary or pre-school education in Mozambique.
Star Kids International
This is an international institution with three premises, one in Maputo and two in Matola. It offers education from Early childhood development programs to primary school. It aims to prepare students to go through their life journey confidently and boldly for their career growth by laying a solid foundation for their future. The school uses a curriculum based on their tailor-made LRPA methodology, meaning Learning, Reinforcement, Practice, and Application.
- Established: 2005
- Location: Maputo and Matola, Mozambique
- Ages: 3-6 years
- Level: ECD to primary school
- Type: Private
- Language: English
- Admission Term: the beginning of 1st semester
- Semesters: 3
The school offersan exciting learning environment by implementing creative and innovative teaching methods, utilizing quality teaching materials, and more. The school acknowledges that every child is unique and has innovative ways to cater to each child.
Prospective Students- the school has a unique selection method based on an all-around holistic approach which allows them to get an overall idea about the child in areas of personality, performance, learning style, abilities, acquisition, to mention but a few. The following documents are required for the application for the admission process:
- A fully and correctly filled admission form together with the payment invoice
- An authenticated copy of the child’s birth certificate, or Passport
- A vaccination card or health certificate
- An authenticated copy of the previous school report card
- 4 Passport size photos of the child
- An authenticated copy of or Passport of the Parents or Guardian.
- Residence permit or work permit of parents or guardians.
the pre-school enrolls children from 3 to 6 years in a pre-kindergarten class and the kindergarten class. The pre-kinder program seeks to develop the aesthetic growth of a child and encourages curiosity, creativity, continuity, and confidence. It aims to develop conceptual understanding and deals with the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development of the child. Activities here include singing, dancing, laughing, playing, and exploring the indoors and outdoors environment. It focuses on utilizing the child’s curiosity and improving their social skills and manners.
The Kindergartenlevel or stagefocuses on building the child’s vocabulary and applying the concepts learned in the previous stage. children are taught how to read and write through innovative learning methods. Here, the students will be involved in activities such as reading, writing, counting, number recognition, and problem-solving in a fun-filled child-centered approach.
Woodrose International School
This is anInternational School located in Maputo, offering an education that addresses students’ physical, intellectual, moral, and social growth. The school uses English as a medium of instruction and follows the Cambridge curriculum.
- Location: AV. Namaacha km 15 Matola Rio, Maputo, Mozambique
- Student Population: 200+
- Type: Private
- Language: English
- Admission Term: the beginning of 1st semester
- Semesters: 3
- Memberships and accreditation: Cambridge
Facilities- the school offers a variety of facilities aimed at holistically developing children. Some of the facilities include big spacious classrooms, a library, computer laboratories, science laboratories, and various sporting facilities.
Curriculum/ academics- the school aims to develop the children’s social and psychomotor skills. Students here are taught in different subjects including Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science taught in an innovative way including singing, dancing and arts activities, drawing, and more.
Prospective students- parents should note that students here are admitted mainly based on the result of their written and oral assessment tests, their report card from the previous school, and parents' acknowledgment of the school's policies. The following must also be submitted upon applying for admission:
- Photocopy of birth certificate, ID, and passport
- Child’s Passport
- parents Passport or ID
- passport size photos (2 copies)
- Duly filled and signed registration form
- Proof of payment of Registration fee
Extracurricular activities- students can take part in a variety of activities including Field Trips, Campings, Sports, Environmental Day, Charity Day, Talent Day, Arts, Music, and Theatre, to mention but a few. These add to a student's overall experience. Sports activities include swimming, martial arts, basketball, volleyball, and football. Students also take up Chess, Dama, word factory, and more
American International School of Mozambique
This is Maputo’s first IB World School offering a US-style preparatory program covering Early childhood learning through grade 12. The school offers an early learning center that prepares students to become active, caring, lifelong learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others.
- Location: Bairro da Costa do Sol, Maputo, Mozambique
- Established: 1990
- Student Population: 410+
- International representation: 55 Nations
- Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
- Academic staff: 60+
- Accreditation: Middle States Association.
Curriculum- the early learning center program focuses on the social, physical, emotional, intellectual, and creative development of students in a multicultural environment. The early years' program helps the children to make sense of the world around them through play. Through this, children learn how to ask questions, how o explore, how to solve problems, and how to socialize with others. Through guided play, students develop a sense of cooperation, self-expression, empathy, who they are, who they are, interaction with peers, and various skills development.
This free play encourages creativity among the children. They develop creativity, self-reliance, self-motivation, self-initiation, concentration, decision making, imagination, self-exploration, various social skills. Activities that students at the center engage in, that enable include counting, sorting, comparing, problem-solving, computation, patterns, sequencing, writing, puzzles, and data handling, to mention but a few.
Tuition and fees
The following fees and tuition are applicable for the early learning class. Note that fees are quoted in US$
Entry Fees
New Student Fees Application Fee $420
Enrollment Deposit $1 000
New Student Capital Fee $10 200
Returning Student Fees Enrollment Deposit $1 000
Returning Student Capital Fee $1 700
Tuition Fees
School Division Grade Levels Tuition Fee
Early Learning Center ELC3 and ELC4 $17 600
Transportation Service Fees
One-way Return Trip
Transportation Fees $1 600 $2 500
