DILI, 13 january 2022 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MoEYS) had issued a circular letter to combat the illegal charging of school registration fees, banning schoolchildren from having access to schools in Dili, and preventing harmful and uneducated school orientation.
“This circular letter is issued to combat the practice of charging illegal registration fees, banning schoolchildren from coming to study in Dili, as well as preventing the harmful and uneducated orientation,” the Director-General of MoEYS, Luis Manuel da Costa Fernandes told reporters, in Dili, on monday.
He said the school registration for 2022 has been set to commence on monday (17/01), adding, therefore, it was important to issue the letter to inform all schools principals to stop charging the illegal registration fees.
Fernandes said the reason for banning youths from coming to study in high schools in the capital Dili is to prevent overcrowded classes.
“Every year, Dili receives a large number of students from municipalities. Therefore, MoEYS planned to stop students from coming to study in Dili to prevent overcrowded classes. This year, we have planned for all high schools to accumulate only 45 students in one classroom and 40 students for the Vocational-Technical Schools,” he said.
Fernandes said students from municipalities must submit a permission request letter, approved by the Municipal Education Director to study in Dili.
Responding to MoEYS decision on banning students from coming to Dili, the Committee G of the National Parliament on Education, Youth and Culture considered the circular letter issued by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) are limiting the freedom of students to choose which schools in Dili and in other municipalities, where they want to acquire their education.
“This circular letter will limit the freedom of young people to having access to any school they want to study,” the President of the Committee G, Antonio Verdial told TATOLI at the National Parliament, on wednesday.
Committee B called on MoEYS to review the decision, saying every child has the right to access any school across the national territory: “MoEYS needs to review its decision and come up with a good decision that can satisfy all parties.”
“It doesn’t mean that I disagree with the decision. But I can say that it’s not the right thing to limit the freedom of school children to study at any school in Timor-Leste,” he said.
Journalist: Nelson Sousa
Editor: Cancio Ximenes
Translation: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
