DILI, 11 august 2021 (TATOLI) – The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) continue to work together to improve Information Communication Technology (ICT)- education for secondary and vocational schools in Timor-Leste (TL).
This collaboration was ratified through an MoU signed between the Minister of MEJD, Armindo Maia, and Lazima Onta-Bhatta as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, in the MEJD office yesterday.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and Cost Sharing Agreement is to support the achievement of the objectives set out in the National Strategic Plan for Education (NSPE) 2011-2030.
Lazima said, Under this partnership, UNDP and MEJD will work together to develop a five-year project (2021-2025) Digitizing the Education System and ICT skills to Improve the Quality of Education in Timor-Leste (DES-TL) and accelerate learning and employment.
“UNDP thanks MEJD for the trust and support of this new joint initiative to develop a national ICT education project by leveraging the achievements and lessons learned from UNDP’s recent ICT successes,” Harga told reporters in MEJD Villaverde Dili this Tuesday.
Under this new project, UNDP and MEJD will develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the ICT education system at the secondary and vocational levels in Timor-Leste, including a baseline assessment.
The project will equip schools with the necessary physical and digital ICT infrastructure and provide hands-on ICT training for teachers and students (50% female).
MEJD Minister, Armindo Maia explained this project will expand the way of learning and will contribute to the TL Education Strategic Plan (2011-2030) which emphasizes the importance of practical application of relevant knowledge for productive processes in TL and to prepare students to enter the labor market.
“This new initiative between MEJD and UNDP will help our students and teachers in secondary schools (both general and technical and vocational) to improve their ICT skills and knowledge,” Maia said.
It was explained that the funds for this project are $40,000, of which $30,000 from UNDP and MEJD $10,000 were to be implemented this year.
New partnerships and projects have been developed based on the successes and lessons learned from UNDP’s recent ICT education project in Oecusse, which was implemented in 23 schools for 5500 students, and 160 teachers.
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
