On February 28th, 2026, the Government, through the Ministry of Education and the Civil Service Commission, swore in 1,143 primary school teachers recruited under the Candidate Scholarship Program at a ceremony held at the Dili Municipal Gymnasium. 
The ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, and attended by the Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs, Mariano Assanami Sabino; the President of the Civil Service Commission, Agostinho Letêncio de Deus; and the President of Commission G of the National Parliament, responsible for Education, Youth, Culture, and Citizenship, Armando dos Santos Lopes.
The newly appointed teachers will now join the teaching career system and be placed in schools throughout the country, with the aim of replacing teachers who have reached the mandatory retirement age or are on long-term sick leave, as well as filling gaps identified in basic education establishments.
During the ceremony, the Minister of Education noted that the recruitment of these professionals ensures continuity in the learning process in schools and is the result of a merit-based procedure that uses the reserve list from the Candidates Pool programme.
Of the 1,143 teachers appointed, 655 are women, and 488 are men, distributed across municipalities according to the needs identified by the Ministry of Education.
In his speech, the Vice Prime Minister emphasised that teachers are not merely civil servants because they play a decisive role in educating new generations, stressing that the state’s main resource is its human capital.
Members of the Government and institutional representatives present also called on new teachers to fulfil their duties with responsibility, dedication, and a sense of mission, emphasising that education is the foundation of social transformation and national development.
Since 2024, the Ministry of Education has conducted three recruitment processes under the Candidates Pool programme, recruiting 3,732 teachers into the teaching profession and placing them in educational establishments throughout the country.