It appears Angola's government, under leadership of President Joao Lourenco, has lost sight of young peoples' interests, says the Angolan Student Movement (MEA).

MEA maintains that, instead of improvements in the education system, tuition fees are rising. It also says Angola's education system lacks desks, chairs, toilets, teaching materials and food.

MEA warns that "either the government changes the situation or it will be overthrown."

The Angolan government maintains that the opposition controls the movement, but even so, Angola's anti-government protests are becoming increasingly widespread.

In May 2025, thousands of Angolan students took to the streets across the country demanding improvements. Angolan security forces responded with violence, which resulted in arrests and injuries.

MEA has now announced a possible continuation of protests. Francisco Teixeira, a spokesperson for the movement, told DW, "We are not ruling out new demonstrations. We are collecting signatures and preparing actions, and we do not accept the government continuing to disregard us."

Starting the school term in crisis mode

The new 2025-26 school term has begun in Angola with around 10 million new students. This has been accompanied by a familiar crisis: a lack of school furniture, too few books, too few teachers and no school meals. This year, however, protesters are calling out these problems.

"In many regions, even in Luanda (Angola's capital), children sit on the ground because there are no desks or chairs," Teixeira said.

He added that Angolan students depend on trees for shade. "The children move with the shade. This is undignified."

Critics largely blame Angolan Education Minister Luisa Maria Alves Grilo for the situation. Despite making several announcements, critics say nothing has improved for over a year.

Yet Grilo has said on social media that the government is working on solutions. She said strikes and protests are unnecessary, instead encouraging dialogue. Grilo said €199 million ($233 million) had been spent on the construction of new school buildings in the provinces of Luanda and nearby Icolo e Bengo.

In a speech at a human resources conference in Luanda last week, Angolan President Lourenco announced a big push to strengthen the education sector over the next two years. He said the equivalent of €424 million would be made available for this purpose and that "this money will not only be spent on new school buildings, but will also go towards further training our teaching staff."

Angola's MPLA party, which has governed the country for 50 years, fears that the education protests could grow into a nationwide movement with potentially far-reaching political consequences. The next elections will take place in 2027, and as things stand today, President Lourenco will not be allowed to run for a third term in office.

No bathrooms, no food, lack of teaching staff

MEA not only criticizes Angola's lack of educational infrastructure but also a lack of teaching materials.

"No books have been distributed for two years, although $5 million was earmarked for this. No one knows where the money has gone," Teixeira said.

Then there is the lack of school meals. "Children go without food and water from 7:00 am to 12:00 noon. How are lessons supposed to work like that?"

Angola also faces a shortage of teachers. According to official figures, the country needs more than 86,000 educators. Many students reach secondary school without proper lessons in core subjects like mathematics or Portuguese, Angola's official language.

Admar Jinguma, secretary-general of the Angolan teachers' union SNIPROF, supports the protests. "We share the students' criticism. We are aware of their concerns because we are also suffering. Classes are overcrowded, and our pay is miserable. Some teachers are starving."

A nationwide teachers' strike could be possible any movement, Jinguma said. "We are refraining from this for the time being to show our willingness to talk. But we've run out of patience."

Jinguma is outraged by state spending priorities in Angola. For example, the Argentinian national football team's planned invitation to a friendly match on the occasion of the country's 50th independence anniversary is set to cost $6 million (€5.1 million).

"$6 million for a 90-minute show, while schools fall into disrepair," said Jinguma. "How many school meals or desks could you pay for with that?"

Deliberately disadvantaging the poor?

"The problem is not just with the ministry. It is systemic," said Teixeira, the MEA spokesperson. "The political elite has no interest in liberating education. Educating the poor does not suit their power model.

"The government deliberately allows the public education system to deteriorate to deny the disadvantaged real opportunities. This is politically intended."

Angolan civil society, churches and the opposition are also expressing concern over the state of the country's education system.

It remains to be seen whether reforms will be implemented this school term or if the country will see a nationwide strike and new protests. What is certain, however, is that the pressure on the Angolan government, party and president is growing.

This article was originally published in German.