BASIC PUBLIC EDUCATION IN ANGOLA: BETWEEN NORMATIVE DESIGN AND THE CHALLENGES OF EFFECTIVENESS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

Abstract

This article seeks to examine basic public education in Angola, focusing on the tension between the legal-programmatic design and the daily effectiveness of primary education. The study is based on the recognition that the country possesses relevant frameworks, such as the Constitution of the Republic, the Basic Law of the Education and Teaching System, and the National Development Plan 2023-2027. Simultaneously, recent reports and studies indicate the persistence of school exclusion, territorial inequalities, financing limitations, infrastructure weaknesses, and gaps in learning monitoring. Methodologically, this work employs a qualitative, basic approach with exploratory-descriptive objectives, aiming to understand and describe the challenges of education in Angola. Regarding methodological procedures, the bibliographic method was utilized, with data collection through a literature review including normative documents, international reports, and academic production on Angola and the PALOP (Portuguese-speaking African countries). Data analysis was performed using the content analysis technique, allowing for the identification of patterns, categories, and contradictions in the studied material. Research results show that Angola possesses a very well-organized normative design aligned with the promotion of social rights, featuring sound planning policies and ambitious national development plans; however, in practice, what is observed is a partisan and precarious education system, dilapidated schools, and an insufficiency of vacancies. It is concluded that the primary challenge is not the absolute absence of policies, but rather the insufficiency of implementation, capillarity, transparency, and the capacity to transform formal rights into equitable and qualitatively consistent school experiences.