Liquica, 19 august 2022 (TATOLI) – Mary MacKillop Today (MMT) and Minister of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) hold an engagement meeting to implement Mobile Learning Center (LMC) project at the Liquica municipality Administration Office.
Mobile Learning Centre, will give the poorest and most neglected children the opportunity to access books and educational facilities through the provision of a library learning center and interactive workshops, encouraging children to develop a passion for education and creatively engage in key learning areas.
The report from UNICEF indicates about 70 percent of students in grade one could not read a single written word in Portuguese and the native Tetum language, the two most commonly spoken languages in the country. This, however, decreased to 40 percent by the end of grade two. By the end of their second year of schooling, 40 percent of kids are still illiterate. these percentages remain the same due to the lack of education facilities, educational resources and low family income.
Since the rate of dropping out of school remain high, lack educational resources, and limited educational opportunities for a vulnerable group of children, MMT create the mobile learning center to respond to these remaining challenges in Timor-Leste.
To ensure the quality of the implementation of MLC, MMT hold this meeting to introduce the goals and objectives including the activity plan for the implementation for the new fiscal year from 2022/2023 based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that has been signed between MMT and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MEJD).
“The main purpose of the meeting was to jointly share ideas and recommendations with the stakeholders involves in the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport, INFORDEPE, and Education’s Directors to improve the quality of the implementation of the project in the fiscal year 2022/2023 in the municipality of Liquica,” said the Country Director of MMT in Timor-Leste Mr. Alipio Baltazar.
The agreement also highlighted the beginning of the implementation of the Mobile Learning Center project in 12 target schools in the municipality of Liquica which have been selected by the MMT.
In this part of the project, The MMT will provide training to teachers, parents, and students including offering books of stories to children and schools.
So Far the implementation of the Mobile Learning Center, common activities including
- Regular visits to schools/orphanages to conduct children’s ‘edu-tainment’ activities including using music as a tool for teaching literacy and numeracy, drama, craft activities, and group reading.
- Conduct inclusive education activities with children with disability or affected by trauma.
- Mentor teachers to be able to apply creative and fun activities in the classroom including puppet shows, music, and reading activities.
- Provide schools and orphanages with Tetum story books and other educational resources to borrow and keep.
Annual Impact
- Visit nearly 5000 students in pre-primary and primary schools generating excitement around education and allowing children to develop a passion for learning.
- Allow 300 teachers to borrow books and other learning materials.
- Ensure over 50 children with a disability have the opportunity to engage in inclusive learning activities.
- Provide a creative outlet for children affected by trauma and poverty to express themselves and explore their feelings, through activities such as music and drama.
Meanwhile, the Mobile Learning Centre Project is implemented in Liquisa municipality with the support of the Child Fund and the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia B.
