The President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, said this Thursday that the rapid growth of the country's population is holding back the expansion of education services and the increase in quality in the sector.

The head of state was speaking during a meeting with teachers' organizations on the occasion of Teachers' Day, which was marked yesterday in Mozambique.

"Demographic growth affects our ability to expand the supply of school places and reduce the teacher-student ratio," said Nyusi.

According to Nyusi, demographic growth and the consequent increase in the student population have also made it difficult to properly equip educational institutions and provide adequate professional and living conditions for teachers.

Cited by Lusa, Filipe Nyusi pointed out that the Mozambican population has jumped from around nine million people in 1975, the year of the country's independence, to around 32 million today.

Nyusi also pointed to budget limitations, the impact of climate change and the armed conflict in the province of Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, as other factors that contribute to holding back better quality education.

"These and other challenges not only affect the future of educational services, but also their quality," he added.

The Mozambican head of state criticized the sectors of society that point to the poor quality of education without presenting solutions.

"I don't want to say that everything is fine and never will be at any time or in any country," he emphasized.

He reiterated the government's promise to correct the shortcomings in the implementation of the Single Salary Table (TSU), a new salary model that has been hotly contested by teachers and other professional classes in the public administration.