Higher education and the attainment of equity and social justice: Restructuring the funding model in Mozambique

This paper is concerned with the restructuring of the higher education funding system in Mozambique for the attainment of equity and social justice, specifically the establishment of cost-sharing mechanisms and scholarship vouchers to needy students. Particularly, the paper examines three questions: (a) How does public funding of higher education encourage (or discourage) the attainment of equity and social justice goals in Mozambique? (b) What challenges do indiscriminate allocation of public funding to higher education institutions and subsidised tuition fee increases pose to the sustainability of higher education sustem? (c) How can Mozambique’s higher education be made affordable for indigent but intelligent students? The paper concludes that although Mozambique’s higher education new funding formula is generally geared towards attaining the goals of equity and social justice, several of its aspects are adverse to the achievement of these goals. The context of the austerity measures announced by the government to tackle the financial crisis, hence the Mozambican government has decided to cut funding in public higher education institutions. The refusal and reluctance of certain social groups to paying increased tuition fees. This is exasperated by existing high levels of poverty and inequality mostly affecting the majority of the Mozambican families.