Education Minister Meets Her Portuguese Counterpart To Strengthen Cooperation In The Education Sector
The Minister of Education of Timor-Leste, Dulce de Jesus Soares, met with Portugal’s Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, in Lisbon on June 23rd, 2026, to discuss bilateral cooperation in the education sector, particularly within the framework of the School Learning and Training Centres (Centros de Aprendizagem e Formação Escolar - CAFE) Project.
During the meeting, the Minister emphasised the importance of the “special relationship” between Timor-Leste and Portugal, two “countries linked by a shared history, the Portuguese language, and a shared vision of the role of education in building more developed, inclusive societies prepared for the challenges of the future.”
The minister also expressed the “appreciation of the Timorese Government for the support that Portugal has provided to the education sector in Timor-Leste, particularly through the (...) CAFE Project.”
Currently, “CAFEs are present in all municipalities of Timor-Leste” and have contributed to improving the quality of learning and to strengthening the institutional and pedagogical capacities of the education system through collaboration between Timorese and Portuguese teachers.
The minister also mentioned the recent passage of the “new Framework Law on Education, which reaffirms Tetum and Portuguese as the languages of instruction in the national education system,” as well as “various initiatives to promote the Portuguese language,” including the recent celebrations of World Portuguese Language Day held throughout the country.
During the meeting, Dulce de Jesus Soares discussed preparations for the contingent of Portuguese teachers for the 2027 school year and reiterated the importance of ensuring the CAFE Project's continuity. The minister also clarified that the ministerial decree currently being drafted by the Ministry of Education regarding CAFE “has the sole objective of regulating the internal operations [of these schools] within the context of the Timorese education system,” without altering the framework of existing bilateral cooperation or the provisions set out in the protocol in force between the two countries.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of the context-based training provided by the CAFE Project and announced that a special recruitment process is underway to hire 200 Timorese teachers for these schools. The Minister also advocated strengthening continuing education and pedagogical support for these professionals.
During the meeting, the minister also shared the achievement of a 6th-grade student from a CAFE school in Dili, who placed third in the “Mathematics and Hope” competition in Portugal. This “achievement demonstrates the potential of our students and provides further evidence of the tangible benefits of this cooperation.”
Portugal’s Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, emphasised that “education is one of the areas where [Timor-Leste and Portugal have] the strongest cooperation” and stated that “Portugal intends to strengthen” that cooperation. The Portuguese minister also noted that “next year, there will be 150 Portuguese teachers” teaching at CAFE schools.
The meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm both countries' commitment to deepening cooperation in the education sector and to continue the CAFE Project
