Government of Timor-Leste

On April 23^rd and 24^th, 2026, the Ministry of Education, in partnership with UNESCO and INFORDEPE, held the National Teachers’ Forum in Dili, bringing together more than 150 teachers from across the country to review and finalise the draft teacher competency framework to improve the quality of education. 

The teacher competency framework is the outcome of a national process launched in 2022, involving teachers and educational institutions. The framework identifies key areas, including pedagogy, language proficiency, scientific knowledge, professional ethics, and community engagement, in line with the Government’s goals to improve the education system.

The forum included workshops, technical presentations, and the sharing of teaching experiences among educators across all levels of education, from preschool through Secondary and Vocational Secondary Education (Years 10–12).

The Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, attended the opening session, accompanied by the Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Wang Wenli, and representatives from the United Nations, UNESCO, and other development partners. In her remarks, the Minister of Education encouraged participants “to listen carefully, engage in dialogue, and share ideas, while maintaining an open attitude towards innovation,” noting that “the challenges faced by one teacher are often similar to those faced by others, so the solutions found can be adapted to different contexts.”

The official also noted that the workshop was designed as a space for mutual learning, where participants can share experiences and teaching practices to stimulate creativity and encourage the adoption of new strategies for teaching and supporting students.

During the meeting, the draft framework for teaching competencies was presented and discussed, with direct input from participants to ensure it reflects the actual needs of the classroom. The Minister emphasised that “this tool aims to define the main areas of teacher competence, namely language proficiency, scientific knowledge, pedagogy, and professional ethics” and that “it will enable the establishment of clear criteria for teachers’ professional development and contribute to improving the quality of education, to address the challenges currently identified in the sector.”

The second day featured presentations from international experts, including Professor Lee Ngan Hoe of the National Institute of Education in Singapore, who highlighted the role of teachers in student education.

“Teachers, as professionals with a broad base of knowledge, are guided by professional practices rooted in the ethics and values expected of educators, and they also can perform their duties with professional autonomy to lead educational change, while keeping abreast of developments at the national, global, and regional levels,” Professor Lee stated in his presentation.

The forum also addressed the need to strengthen continuing education, establish clear criteria for teacher evaluation, and align teachers’ professional development with the sector’s identified challenges, particularly in literacy and numeracy.

The input gathered at the National Teachers' Forum will help finalise the teaching competency framework and integrate it into the evaluation and professional development mechanisms planned for the education sector.