Motivation, problem statement and objectives Throughout the Mozambique post-colonial history, educational system has been conceived as a key sector to the success of any government development strategy. From 1975 to nearly 1990, its mission was to construct the socialist society. After the end of both socialism and civil war, and the government shift to free market economy policies, educational system is meant to play an important role on the recent government agenda: reducing absolute poverty and promoting economic growth and social welfare. To achieve this objective, education should “produce” the human capital, equipped with competencies, specially the entrepreneurship capacity. This research tries to find an answer to the following question: is the curriculum of professional and technical education prepared to meet these needs? Two main objectives are focused: firstly, to understand the efficiency of this subsystem of education in fulfilling these demands; secondly, to find out the educational approach that seem to be more appropriate to accomplish this new mission given to education. Theoretical framework Contextualized around the role played by the educational system in economic and social development strategy, this study lies, from the theoretical viewpoint, on a trans-disciplinary and a complexity approach (MORIN): it uses concepts and theories developed in economics, psychology and pedagogy. The Economics of Development provides basis on the concept of development and absolute poverty. Absolute poverty is the fact of being below a minimum standard of living defined by a society (World Bank). Regarding to the concept of development, four approaches can be identified: economic (economic growth or Gross Domestic Product), social (wealth distribution and welfare), philosophical (ideology and utopia), and ecological (sustainable development). The problem of poor countries is fundamentally concerned with low GDP rates and inequalities in terms of wealth distribution. Thus, development strategies defined by these countries often focus on economic and social approaches of development. In terms of development theories, two paradigms can be identified: government-centred approaches (Socialism, Keynesianism) and free market approach (liberalism, Neo-liberalism). Mozambique development strategy is based on free market economy model, an approach based on classical and neoclassical economic theories (SMITH, WALRAS, PARETO), theories later supported by HAYEK and FRIEDMAN and by the Bretton Woods institutions. According to this paradigm, free markets – without or with a minimum government intervention – contribute to economic development and social welfare. This model attributes a new role to education, summarized around the human capital theory (BECKER, SCHULTZ), according to which human capital – competencies and skills with productive, economic and marketable value – is a determinant factor to social and economic development. The educational system is thus needed to “produce” this “human capital”. This mission implies specific approaches in organizing the educational systems and, in particular, specific ways of organizing the curriculum (curriculum conceived not only as a formal teaching and learning plan, specifying objectives, contents, sequences, means and results (PHENIX, JOHNSON), but also as the set of educational experiences lived by students under school orientation (FORSHAY, SAYLOR). Two educational approaches seem to be adequate to this challenge: competency-based approach (LE BOTERF, PIAGET, VIGOSKY), and entrepreneurship education (DOLABELA, GERBER). The competency-based approach – which implies that the school identifies job profiles and develops skills needed to perform such jobs – is designed to prepare students to make use of their knowledge in stable professional environments. However, in the knowledge and post-industrial economy, professional environments tend to be unstable, demanding that educational systems also develop in students the entrepreneurship capacity (creativity, innovation, profiting business opportunities, own job creation).

As empirical field, an enquiry was made in 3 technical and professional schools, using questionnaires and interviews. The enquiry consisted, firstly, of collecting general data about the courses delivered and their respective curriculum, teachers’ qualifications and didactical material, in order to verify at what extent this meet the demands of developing competencies, specially the entrepreneurship capacity. Secondly, 45 students were questioned; 3 school directors, 4 job-training tutors and 12 teachers were interviewed: the aim was to know their perception and assessment about the school efficacy towards the meet of these demands.

Preliminary Outcomes and implication Our enquiry tends to demonstrate the inefficiency of the technical and professional education towards the demand of “producing” the desired human capital. Firstly, the curriculum is “classical”, it doesn’t include subjects like “entrepreneurship”, many teachers aren’t qualified and there is a lack of pedagogical material. Secondly, about 75% of students don’t feel their school itinerary is providing them with skills and competencies needed in their future profession. About 70% of them don’t feel to have the entrepreneurship behaviour. 65% of teachers think school is still inadequate to meet these demands: the methodology they use is still traditional and many don’t even know competency-based approach and entrepreneurship pedagogy. However, these are preliminary results and they need to be re-examined later. But they imply that changes have to be made in the educational system in order to fulfil these new demands.