Linguistic policies and teacher training policies in East Timor

Abstract

In a context of educational system reconstruction, as seen in East Timor, In-Service Primary School Teacher Training grapples with the issue of recruiting teachers at all levels of education, according to rigorous criteria stipulated by the Basic Education Law. Consequently, the state’s primary investment has been in the training of teachers already within the system. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyze the processes and negotiations for the alteration of In-Service Primary School Teacher Training Policies, specifically focusing on the Bachelor’s Degree Program for Contracted Teachers of the 1st and 2nd Cycles of Basic Education in all municipalities of East Timor. The research approach employed is qualitative and descriptive, using interviews with national policy managers as the primary data source. Analysis of the interviews reveals that the initiative for the creation and management of this new program came from the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports, with INFORDEPE and UNTL actively participating in all stages of discussion. This program was designed to address a situation that arose during an emergency period – the hiring of untrained volunteer teachers. It can be concluded that the extended timeline and the extensive series of meetings and conversations among institution managers indicate that the program was indeed thoughtfully planned and organized, distinguishing it from prior emergency measures. However, the program’s model and primary training objectives do not significantly differ from previous policies.