The Minister of Education and Culture, Samaria Tovela, revealed yesterday in Maputo that school books for grades 4 and 5 are being produced in the country, as part of a plan to ascertain national capacity and quality.

"The books for other levels are arriving, we are already preparing for reception and distribution in the districts, as a way of ensuring that the book reaches the children in schools early," he said.

On the other hand, he assured that the 2023 overtime debts to teachers and literacy workers are already being paid, and the balance of the 2024 debts is being prepared.

"We're paying the debts related to overtime for teachers and literacy workers, (....) we've started paying 2023, and 2024 is in the pipeline. We started paying the literacy teachers yesterday (Tuesday). The government is paying, no matter how long it takes, it will pay all the debts," he said, appealing to teachers and literacy workers to stop leaving the classroom because of the debts.

Tovela was speaking at the opening of the sector's 1st Coordinating Council, which is being held under the slogan "Education, Research and Culture: Fundamental Vectors for the Country's Sustainable Development".