World Conference on Learning, Teaching and Educational Leadership 2014

1. Pathways to change: Improving the
quality of Education in Timor-Leste
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
presented by margarida lucas
Research Centre Didactics and Technology in Education of Trainers
University of Aveiro, Portugal

2. Timor-Leste
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
• colonized by the Portuguese from the 1500s to 1975
• occupied by the Indonesian from 1975 to 1999
• ruled by UN forces from 1999 to 2002

3. Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
1999
• violence erupted after the Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia (referendum):
destruction and devastation of homes, livelihoods and infrastructure;
displacement of massive numbers of students and teachers.
2002
• fully independent on May 20, 2002:
considerable amounts of money have been donated to reconstruct the state and the nation;
schools have been built and improved, curricula have been restructured;
Tetum and Portuguese have been constitutionally legislated as the two national languages;

4. Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
Timorese Ministry of Education + 2 Portuguese funding agencies
Implementing partner - University of Aveiro
• responsible for designing and developing all didactic resources related to the new curriculum
• responsible for providing teacher training for the new curriculum
restructuring the General Secondary Education in Timor-Leste
• assist in developing a system of quality secondary education through curriculum development and reform
• support and strengthen Portuguese as the instruction language

5. the new General Secondary Education in Timor-Leste
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation

6. implementation challenges
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
• several policy makers were interviewed between May and June 2014
director (D) of the National Directorate of School Curriculum and Assessment
former Director (fD) of the National Directorate of School Curriculum and Assessment
advisor of the current Director (aD)
former Ministry of Education (fM)
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of
international cooperation

7. implementation challenges
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
• linguistic flaws in the use of Portuguese language
• limitations in the scientific and pedagogical training of teachers and future teachers
• lack of organization as well as of pedagogical and administrative management capacity in most
secondary schools.

8. linguistic flaws in the use of Portuguese language
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
• natural consequence of 24 years of Indonesian occupation during which Portuguese was forbidden
and banned from schools (aD);
• the decision to adopt Portuguese as the instruction language is considered to be the appropriate:
one of the country’s official language;
Tetum lacks a solid structure and does not comprehend enough technical and scientific
vocabulary to support a new curriculum (D);
• Tetum is used to complement communication and transmission of contents during classes (fD);
• training in Portuguese language must be a priority (D, fM)

9. limitations in the scientific and pedagogical training of teachers
and future teachers
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
• a considerable number of permanent teachers were not adequately trained to teach;
• rote learning is used extensively;
• new subjects pose serious challenges:
particularly evident regarding Geology, Technologies and Multimedia or Literature and
Culture;
the need to align courses/training provided at universities (aD);
• scientific and pedagogical must be a priority (aD, fM);
• schools and training facilities lack basic equipment (D).

10. lack of organization, pedagogical and administrative
management capacity in most secondary schools
Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation
• school directors were appointed by the MoE regardless their initial training (when any existed) or
profile;
• decrees regarding secondary schools organization and administration have not been implemented
(D, aD, fM);
subjects are not organized by departments (D);
a Biology teacher may end teaching Literature and Culture (aD);
high absence of teachers, which is not controlled (fD);
schools do not have other staff other than teachers (D).

11. mlucas@ua.pt
• Evaluating the impact of restructuring secondary education in East Timor – a study in the context of international cooperation