Mozambique is a country situated on the east coast of Southern Africa, between South Africa and Tanzania. The country have more the 16.000.000 of the population density, where 7.717.306 (48%) are male and 8.384.940 (52%) are female. The urban and rural population is about 28,6% and 71,4% respectively. The population medium age is around 17,5 years old.

The actual illiteracy rate is about 60.5%, where the female is about 74.1 and male 44.6.%.

The illiteracy rate also differ from residencial urban and rural areas. The realily has shown that in urban area the illiterate people is about 33%,while in the rural area is 72.2%. In the rural area the female still getting the high rate of illiteracy with about 85.1% whitch in urban area the percentage is 46.2%.

Mozambique became independent in 1975 by the time, about 93% of the population was illiterate. According to the really situation, the Mozambican government announced literacy program all over the country, based on personal volunteer, and stablished literacy centres in the rural, urban and factories.

The adult education program was given by young people, students without specific training as Adult educators, and also they was doing adult literacy without adequate teaching materials.

As a result of the literacy program taken place, specially in the urban and suburban areas, 500.000 people became literate.

In 1976 the national diractorate for literacy and adult education was created by Ministry of Education. With the task of stablishing formally literacy system.

In 1978 was launched the first national company of literacy, also the number of school grew up. Which means that the school network grew up and illiterate rate reduced from 93% to 72% ( Censo geral da populacao, 1980).

Intruduced the National System, in 1983, as well as sub-system of Literacy and Adult Education, new programms for LAE was stablished, new materials was enlarged and two years literacy teaching formalized. The adult educators are professionally trained. With conception of Professional Adult Educators.

With the enrolment of the was taken place between 1980-1990/2, the adherence of Mozambique to I.M.F and World Bank, outlined the literacy and adult education process. The National Directorate of Literacy and Adult Education was extincted remaining only Literacy and Adult Education Department, linked to National Director of Basic Education, as the only responsible for the all Literacy, and Adult Education activities in the country.

By that time the teaching material was not produced, the literacy training centres and short training courses for Adult Literacy that existed in provinces they drop out which means that they did not function, the literacy and adult education by the way was not a priority. The priority was given to Basic Education for Children.

On other hand the political and economic changes ,linguistic and cultural diversity which is about 30 linguistical variant, the curriculum and programms the learning process was done only in portuguese language, which in one form or another drop out the people to learn.

The higth standard of living and consequent priority of the survival activities to the people brouth as well the weakness to the literacy and adult education in country.

The Ministry of Education awere and consciente of importance and the role of literacy and adult education, in general the learning cadre was reajusted in 1992, where was seen two reference points brougth up to literacy and adult education.

1. Adult learners sould be atributed diploma or certificate given and confered by formal education.
2. The extras-schooling learning sould be realized out of formal system nonformal education.

In 1994 the Ministry of Education design the Directorate plan of basic learning, which summarize the work for comission board created for developing the program for nonformal education, as alternative way for increasing the community participation for problem-solving as well as reinforcing the institucinal and capacity building to National Institute of Adult Education,to reseach and co-ordinate the literacy and adult education as well as nonformal education.

From 1995 to 1999,the first ESSP( Educational Sector Strategic Plan) was performed,the literacy and nonformal education was considered as priority area,however, on its accomplishment or realization was weak, for the extinction of National Diractorate of Literacy and Adult Education in 1990. The learning material for literacy was not produzed, the training cadre was not done. In May 1999, was held the first Annual Meeting for Rivision of ESSP and agreed that was needed to do an evaluation for analyse the actual situation and draw the strategis plan to the future.

From May to June, 2000, was realised the evaluation where conclusion and recommendations was agreed as follow:

• The actul literacy , adult education and non-formal education present some problems and challenges which is needed to be considered and deeply reflected.
• The most critical problems and challenges refere to :

.The trainig of necessary human resouces;

. Curriculum for training cadre;

.The production of teaching material for adult learns and for adult education as well as non-formal education;

. Creation of the competente and functional struture for LAE and NFE;

The most important recommendations to the Ministry of Education are to :

-Create a national agency that can professionally lead the process of implementing strategic plan for the sector;

• Design a language policy for basic education that would consider the multicultural and multilingual nature of the country;
• Make a viable budget for the sector starting in the year 2001;
• Ensure the evolviment of other participants through the coordenation of institutional efforts based on dialogue and partnership;
• Develop a new strategy to train human resouces for literacy, adult education and non-formal education which takes account the existing institutions ( INEA, CFQAEA, universities) as well as the personnel needs of each province in relation to the preestablished goals;
• Design strategies and indicators to improve the participation and retention of girls and women in the literacy, adult education and non-formal programms;
• Create a national forum of literacy, adult eduacation and non-formal education aimed at: a) offering a space for debate between the government, civil society and international organization; b) reviewing strategic plans; c) clarifying roles ( States/Civil Society); d) seeking consensus for concrete actions to cope with the problem of illiteracy.
• To the international agencies , it is reccomended that :

. They should continue to support and follow up the process of strategic design for the sector, and to fully participate in the implementation phase of the action plans, taking into account their own requirements for cooperation;

. the shoul continue to provide support and technical assistence to capacity building within the sector;

• In regard to the strategic design and implementation phase, it is recommended that :

. This phase should only focus on the question of which global strategy to implement and how to implement it, but should also focus and reflect to question of why and when to relaunch a national program of literacy and adult education as well as the possible implications for the country;

• Design strategic plan for literacy, adult education and non-formal education that contains the following components/sub-strategies:

.a human resouces trainig strategy

.a curriculum development strategy

. a materials devepment, production, edition and distribuition strategy

. a planning financing and manangement strategy

. a strategy to mobilize and retain women and girls; and

. a strategy for the coordination of institutional efforts.

Illiteracy is critical problem in Mozambique that has deep implications not only for the future development of the country but also for other vital problems and challenges facing the country such as the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

However, there are some programms taken place with government and NGO’s as Action Aid (Reflect),Progresso, GTZ, SNV, e.g.

Mozambique, DEA,2000.