Government of Timor-Leste

The Ministry of Education, through the National Institute of Training of Teachers and Education Professionals, held the second graduation ceremony of the Bachelor Degree on Education, on October 14, in Balide, Díli.

This ceremony, held under the theme "Education is not only to form a labor Market but to form a Nation with people capable of thinking", awarded the diploma to 197 graduates from the districts of Baucau, Maliana and Oe-Cusse.

João Câncio Freitas, Minister of Education and Maria da Costa, President of the National Institute for Training of Teachers and Education Professionals, spoke before the graduates and other guests, including the Ambassador of Portugal, the Ambassador of Brazil and the Rector of UNTL.

Maria da Costa said she was proud of the fact that 197 graduates have obtained their Bachelor's degree in Education, spoke of the importance of language and asked them to continue "with the same commitment, responsibility and firmness in the daily work with the students to improve education in our country". She also took the opportunity to express "a word of thanks to the Minister of Education, for his constant support to this Institute, and in the responsible and resolute was in which he has carried out changes in this sector, that are critical to the future of the country".

João Câncio Freitas congratulated the graduates, who are teachers in the areas of the Portuguese Language, Basic Education of the first two cycles and Physics, and as minister responsible for this area, reaffirms "the commitment of the IV Constitutional Government, four years ago, of executing a political project in the area of Education, a reform project that would guarantee the country, and especially to future generations, a promising scenery of Education and Training to better address the social and economic development of our country".

The Minister also noted the efforts of the Ministry of Education to improve the quality of education in Timor-Leste to the level of the international standards. He recalled that the more than 600 teachers graduated from the Institute since its existence, illustrate the work that has been developed, and we hope that this will evolve in the next year and the cooperation with Portugal and Brazil is maintained.