DILI, 20 february 2023 ( TATOLI)- The National Director of Infrastructure of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports ( MoEYS) Agustinho Soares, said the eight Government of Constitutional will construct another 77 Preschools in Timor – Leste by 2023.
” We have allocated $7.3 million to construct the 77 Preschools in the National territory of Timor – Leste by 2023 and the Eight Constitutional Government had committed to prioritizing the Preschool ‘s construction to achieve the target of MEJD at least one village will have one preschool,” said Agustinho Soares when interviewed by TATOLI via live streaming at the office of TATOLI Farol, Dili on monday.
Previously Education Minister Armindo Maia, said the Preschool construction is very low if compared with the other school construction with an estimated budget of just 0,5 % only, therefore Education Ministry will prioritize the development of preschools in 2023.
“Based on the report from the United Nations Children s Fund ( UNICEF) the construction of preschools has achieved only 28%, therefore in the year 2023 Education Ministry will prioritize the preschool in Timor- Leste to ensure the basic quality of Education in Timor – Leste,” said Armindo Maia.
In addition, the current President, José Ramos Horta previously in his speech at the Timor-Leste Development Partners meeting, has pledged to collaborate with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) to establish pre-schools in every village across the country.
Horta said the importance of establishing pre-schools in every village was to ensure that every 3 to 5-year-old is enrolled in a pre-school: “It is critical because, in the first five years of life, more than one million neural connections are formed each second – a pace never repeated in our lives.”
The quality of a child’s early experiences makes a critical difference as their brains develop, providing either strong or weak foundations for learning, health, and behavior throughout life.
Horta said, therefore, establishing the kindergarten Schools was one of his presidential top priorities to provide access to preschool education for every child – to build a strong foundation for Timorese children so they can achieve their full developmental potential, don’t drop out of school, and finish their studies.
Related News:https://en.tatoli.tl/2022/06/10/horta-pledges-to-cooperate-with-moeys-to-establish-pre-schools-in-every-village/15/
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B.
