Luanda, June 27, 2025 (Lusa) - The Angolan Student Movement (MEA) on Friday demanded “an immediate suspension” of the authorisation to increase tuition fees in private general and higher education for the next academic year, considering taking to the streets if they are not heard.
In a manifesto presented today at a press conference, the MEA stressed that Angolans were recently surprised by a measure announced by the government, in conjunction with the National Association of Private Education and the Association of Private Higher Education Institutions of Angola, which authorises private universities and private general education to increase tuition fees and other charges by up to 20.74%.
In his speech, MEA leader Francisco Teixeira said that the movement does not accept that people should not study because of lack of money, considering that “it's unjust” and “that's what the Government is doing”.
"The Angolan political elite have this project, they understand that if the people study they will be affronted, they will have the courage to say some things to their faces and they don't want that. The message to the President is that we are here, we will not accept injustice, we will fight to the last consequences," he said.
For the MEA, this decision, "taken in a context of high economic pressure, youth unemployment and loss of purchasing power for families, represents a real blow to access to education in Angola".
"We believe that this measure not only exacerbates social inequalities but also jeopardises the academic future of thousands of young people, especially those from low-income families. An education that should be a right for all becomes an inaccessible privilege," they emphasise.
The manifesto also emphasises that "education cannot be treated purely and simply as a business", stressing that private education exists as a complement to public education, but "must respect principles of inclusion, equity and social responsibility".
"Authorising disproportionate increases, without guaranteeing the quality of teaching, is a direct affront to the education enshrined in our Constitution," they say.
The movement also criticises the decision-making "without real dialogue with the main stakeholders", students and families.
The MEA also demands that a dialogue council be set up between the government, educational institutions, students and parents to discuss the fairest funding model, as well as rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching in private institutions, "ensuring that students get a return on their investment".
According to the movement, many students are abandoning their studies due to lack of conditions and the new increase will only make this reality even worse.
"With stagnant wages, rising inflation, youth unemployment, how can a family be expected to bear another 20% increase, this measure is not only technically unjustifiable, it is socially unsustainable and ethically unacceptable," they say.
The Students' Movement of Angola guarantees that it is not against the private education sector, as it is an important complement to public education, but defends "a balanced, fair and socially conscious model, proposing that private institutions be made accountable, and that the scholarship system be strengthened to guarantee more access for students.
"We are aware that changing this reality requires struggle, dialogue and mobilisation. The MEA is prepared to engage in dialogue with the authorities, but also to mobilise students in an organised, peaceful and orderly manner if our demands continue to be ignored," he said.
"We will not accept education being turned into a privilege for the few, we will fight with all our might for an Angola where studying is not a luxury, but a right," they add, reaffirming that the MEA "will not remain silent in the face of the commercialisation of education".
NME/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
