MEJD and New Zealand strengthen cooperation for HANDS II program in preschool education

Establish a joint agreement to continue to implement the Halimar, Learn at Deskobre Susesu (HANDS) II program, in order to develop pre-school education in Timor-Leste from 2021-2026.

The HANDS II program aims to develop children’s capacity in the learning process that has been implemented since 2015 and ends in 2020.

Minister of Education Youth and Sport Armindo Maia said, this discussion is a better level of government in New Zealand without depositing education and hopes that the program will be implemented.

“On behalf of the Ministry, I would like to thank the support of the Government of New Zealand, as well as the two-part teams that went to make many efforts in order to implement the program, which we have signed today,” said Maia in the MEJD  Vila verde to Journalist of TATOLI News Agency on thursday.

The New Zealand  government has provided assistance in the development of pre-school education in Timor-Leste since Timor-Leste got its independence, said Maia.

In the same place, New Zealand ambassador to Timor-Leste Philip Hewitt in his intervention also said that the implementation of the HANDS program was a major investment by New Zealand in the pre-school education sector in Timor-Leste.

“This reflects the importance of early childhood education and children’s development. We feel many privileges in continuing the HANDS II ‘s program to improve the capacity and knowledge of pre school children in Timor-Leste.

“I hope we can work together to improve the quality of education in Timor-Leste,” he said.

According to 2020 data, preschools in Timor-Leste were 558, composed of public preschool and private preschool. Public preschools were 428, and community preschools  were 130 in all territories of Timor-Leste.