"Rebuilding Timor-Leste's Education System"

by Eunsook Jung (Assistant Dean, College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Abstract

Timor-Leste is one of the youngest countries in the world. It regained independence in 2002 after experiencing hundreds of years of colonialism combined by Portugal, Japan, and Indonesia. Education during the colonial period served as a tool for indoctrinating Timorese that they were the second-class citizens. With the enduring impact of colonialism on education, Timor-Leste must build its education system from the ground up, which can be suitable for its citizens.

In this essay, I examine how the Timor-Leste government has rebuilt its education system after the decades of struggle and what challenges and constraints remain in the current education system. After conducting field research, my observations are as follows. First, although the Timor-Leste government recognizes the importance of decolonization, education is not free from colonial legacies. Second, Timor-Leste has improved access to education over time to the great extent. However, the quality of education still lacks severely. Third, adopting multiple

official languages has posed challenges to people in communicating with one another. It can be a source of inequality at the same time. Without political will to reduce language barriers and a sizeable investment in the education sector, these problems are likely to persist.

* Please find the attached file for JISEAS Issue Paper No. 30.