Many rural Angolan populations of the vast countryside retained their native culture and language and were not able to speak nor understand Portuguese.

Mainland Portugal's literacy rate by the 1940s and early 1950s was low for North American and Western European standards at the time.

[6] In general, the quality of teaching at the primary level was reasonable, despite the fact that sometimes instruction was carried on largely by Africans with very few qualifications.

However, the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002) that ensued after independence left the education system in chaos and the progress achieved in the last two decades was seriously damaged.

[8] With the independence and the eruption of the civil war, most Portuguese had left (including virtually all secondary school staff), many buildings had been damaged, and availability of instructional materials was limited.

[8] The First Party Congress responded to this problem by resolving to institute an eight-year compulsory system of free, basic education for children between ages seven and fifteen.

[8] School enrollment, which rose very slowly considering Angola's youthful population, reflected the dire effects of the insurgency.

The government began implementation of its education plan in close cooperation with its allies, particularly Cuba and the Soviet Union.

[8] Despite the government's efforts, the UNITA insurgency prevented the construction of a new education system on the remains of that inherited from the Portuguese.

[8] The demands of the war had drained funds that could otherwise have been applied to building schools, printing books, and purchasing equipment.

In 1987 the JMPLA launched a special campaign to recruit 1,000 young people to teach in primary schools in Luanda Province.

In 1988, according to the United States Center for Defense Information, the Angolan government spent more per capita on the military (US$892) than on education (US$310).

The war in the southern and central regions of the country prevented the spread of the school system; the consequences of the fighting, including UNITA attacks on schools and teachers and the massive displacement of rural populations in those areas, disrupted the education of hundreds of thousands of children.

[11] During the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002), nearly half of all schools were reportedly looted and destroyed, leading to problems with overcrowding.

[11] Other factors, such as the presence of landmines, lack of resources and identity papers, and poor health prevent children from regularly attending school.

[12] In 2004, the government concluded its national child registration campaign, which documented 3.8 million children under the age of 18 years since August 2002.

[12] Years of conflict have left many students, including former child soldiers, severely traumatized and physically disabled.

[12] Abuse experienced by many abducted and war-affected girls has left them especially vulnerable and some with young children requiring care during school hours.

[12] Some social protection and education programs, curricula, policies, and resources have been revised and made more suitable for this population.

[12] However, there continues to be a need for more relevant and adequate teaching techniques; resources, curricula, and teaching tools; formal, vocational, and alternative educational programs; life skills training; social services; community support; education and social policies and programs; and opportunities for young people to develop into productive and responsible citizens.

This increase of the governmental budget plus the end of the armed conflict allowed a new opportunity to expand and improve Angola's education system.

The method will be first implemented on February in Luanda, as an experimental project, for which a group of 10 teachers from Cuba will travel to the African nation in the first months of 2009.

In 2009, the UAN split up: while it still exists under the same name in Luanda and Bengo province, the faculties in Benguela, Cabinda, Huambo, Lubango, Malanje and Uíge now constitute autonomous public universities.