Government of Timor-Leste

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste

Ninth Constitutional Government

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Dili, February 2^nd, 2024

Press Release

Briefing note on the process of integration into the teaching career and the school staffing structure

This press release aims to clarify the vision and actions undertaken by the Ministry of Education regarding the issue of the integration process into the teaching career and the state of play of school staffing, with the primary objective of contributing to the quality and continuity of the teaching and learning process throughout the national territory.

The actions undertaken include recruitment and other actions for career entry, as well as the efficient management of current resources within the framework of school staffing.

The process of joining the teaching career is carried out through a competition designed to promote entry into the professional category of Grade C Teacher. Once in this category, the new teacher will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the school environment, educational practice and the curriculum of the national education system to ensure that the teacher's profile is suited to the necessary professional performance.

Recruiting new career teachers comprises two phases: the competition phase for the pool of candidates and the selection process. The selection of candidates for the teaching career pool is based on the needs and vacancies available in public schools. The Ministry of Education carries out this selection considering the number of vacancies on the school staff.

The pool of candidates is an organised list of the candidates selected as part of the recruitment competition, which allows the Ministry of Education to allocate human resources quickly and efficiently, according to the specific needs of the schools. Candidates who pass or are ranked in the candidate pool tests are considered to be on a reserve list, awaiting a call-up based on their ranking or ranking value.

The first steps in recruiting new teachers have already been taken. According to the Ministry of Education's plan, by the end of March 2024, there should be new teachers duly integrated into the special career regime.

After analysing the current placement of teachers on school staff, the Ministry of Education has concluded that there are no situations that would result in the closure of educational establishments due to a total shortage of teachers. Considering that there are schools with a surplus of teachers, including those in the same Integrated Establishment, movements within an Integrated Establishment and transfers within the same municipality will be carried out to ensure the correct distribution of teachers, and a call will be made through the pool of candidates to meet the remaining needs of schools with a shortage of teachers after redistribution. This will ensure the efficient allocation of available human resources and the continuous smooth running of the teaching and learning process.

Staff vacancies are filled through initial placement or transfer. The Ministry of Education, within the framework of the 9th Constitutional Government, is carrying out the first effective and formal analyses in the history of the national education system to identify teacher surpluses or shortages and will shortly be moving and transferring teachers from schools with surpluses to schools with shortages. If the transfers are insufficient to meet these schools' needs, the Ministry of Education will call on the pool of candidates.

These processes of recruiting new teachers and approving the school staff, with the distribution and transfers of teachers, are duly regulated in the various legal instruments.

The decree-law that approved the amendment to the Career Statute provides for the application of special entry as a one-off transitional measure. Special Entry into the teaching career is granted to individuals with a history of teaching (lecturing) with a contract of the nature of an "agent of the General Regime" and who have obtained academic qualifications through state programmes or on their own initiative. This scheme only applies to teachers with contracts before 2023 who continued teaching in 2023, provided they have undergone a performance assessment.

The Teaching Career Statute establishes exceptional requirements for entry into the professional category of Grade C Professor, requiring candidates to have performed teaching duties until 2023, to hold a minimum academic degree, to be registered with the Civil Service Commission's Integrated Public Administration Management System (SIGAP) and to have a minimum performance evaluation of "Good".

Former hires in 2023 are not eligible for Special Admission because they need a track record of teaching proven by at least one performance evaluation in SIGAP. Those with the minimum qualifications can apply to the pool of candidates.

The Ministry of Education reiterates its commitment to promoting efficient and equitable human resource management in the national education system. The measures implemented aim to contribute to the quality of teaching through strategic transfers and recruitment to meet the specific needs of schools. The teaching career integration process and staffing policies are conducted transparently, thus guaranteeing not only the continuous functioning of teaching but also constant improvement in the national education system. END