PM Instructs MEJD To Create MORE CAFE Schools

Timor-Leste’s new Prime Minister, Jose Alexandre Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, has instructure the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports to complete creating CAFE (Education Training and Learning Centres) schools across the nation.

He said the CAFE schools must be created at both municipal and administrative post level to enable the children in the community to access quality education across the territory.

“The CAFE schools contributed tremendously to the development of education because most of the teachers are Portuguese, and apart from all the subject’s students learn, they are also learning to speak Portuguese,” said MP Gusmao.

PM Gusmao stated he instructed the ministry to finalise the establishment of CAFE schools across the nation, so that all Timorese students can access quality education.

“We want all our students to have access to better quality education, in the rural areas and at the national level. This is our vision for the development of the education sector,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dulce Soares, said the establishment of CAFE schools was part of her previous mandate as minister of education.

“We will need to check with the outgoing minister of education how many more CAFE schools were established during his [five year] mandate, at the municipal level and at the administrative post level. And how many were not built ,so that we can then continue this work,” said Minister Soares.

She added her ministry will invest in CAFE schools, with infrastructure, school materials, and contract Portuguese teachers to come and support with teaching.

“At the CAFE schools, there will be a blend of Portuguese and Timorese teachers, teaching at the same time and complementing each other, for the benefit of the students,” she said.

The minister said there are in total 73 CAFE schools functioning across the nation.