The Ministry of Education held the first conference on inclusive education, on the 11th and 12th of April, at the João Paulo II Centre, in Comoro, Díli, under the theme “Achieve Education for All”.

The conference had the objective of broadening the participants’ perspectives and knowledge about inclusive education, to ensure a common knowledge on the issue, and also to develop a policy on this theme, in Timor-Leste.

The Minister of Education, João Câncio, stated that the conference was important to establish the foundation of inclusive education in Timor-Leste, since article 59 of the Constitution states that all citizens have the same right to education and culture. To implement the referred article, the National Parliament approved, in 2008, the Education Base Law No 14/2008 that serves has a the basis to inclusive education in our country. The law predicts that all children aged 6 (six) to 37 (thirty seven) years old, and the populations that have the will to study, should have access to education from the basic levels to the more superior levels.

The President of the Republic, whom also participated in the conference, referred in his speech that inclusive education is a national priority, and so should also be described in the General State Budget. Even in developed countries, education is always the first priority. A good example is Singapore, where, as a developed country, education continues to be a priority from the elementary levels right up to the more advanced levels.

Participation in the conference included the national and regional directors and inspectors of the 13 districts, chiefs of national and district departments, representatives of the teachers, church and NGO’s, nationals and internationals. The speakers were the Minister of Education, João Câncio Freitas, the National Commissioner of the Children Rights, Adalgisa Ximenes, the adviser for Education, Sheldon Shaefer, the Director of the E1Centre, inclusive education experts from Austrália, Vientiane capital of Laos, Frances Gentle and Kristiyanti from Hellen Keller International, Indonesia.