DILI, 18 February 2025 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Education organized a seminar with the theme: “Multilingual education for a dignified and sustainable future.”
The seminar aimed to bring together government representatives, development partners, and linguists to discuss the importance of preserving Timor-Leste’s mother tongues through the mother tongue education program.
Speaking at the seminar, the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus, recalled that the government, through the Ministry of Education, has been implementing the mother tongue education program in three municipalities since 2012, including Oé-Cusse and Manatuto and Lautém.
The implementation of the program aimed to use each municipality’s mother tongue as the language of instruction for elementary students in the early years. The program focused on helping students learn to read and write in their mother tongue.
Minister Dulce reiterated that the program facilitated reading and writing for elementary students in their early years, specifically for those in rural areas who do not speak either of the national languages, Tetun and Portuguese.
Meanwhile, Vice Prime Minister and Minister Coordinator for Social Affairs and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino, praised the teachers for their efforts in teaching students in their mother tongues: “It is very important for us to preserve our mother tongues, as they are a vital part of our identity.”
Santosh Khatri, the Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Jakarta, sees International Mother Language Day as an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to protecting and promoting linguistic diversity.
Khatri reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to supporting Timor-Leste in strengthening its efforts in multilingual education, refining its language policies, and promoting an inclusive learning environment.
TATOLI
