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1/31/2001 - Building From the Ground Up: Education in New East Timor by Curt Gabrielson

ICWA LETTERS Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young professionals outside United States write about international areas issues An exempt operating foundation endowed Charles R Crane Institute supported contributions minded individuals foundations TRUSTEES Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler William F Foote Pramila Jayapal Peter Bird Martin Ann Mische Dorothy S Patterson Paul A Rahe Carol Rose Chandler Rosenberger John Spencer Edmund Sutton Dirk J Vandewalle Sally Wriggins HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot CG Southeast Asia Curt Gabrielson science teacher Institute Fellow observing establishment education East Timor Building From Ground Up Education New East Timor Ja nuary Dili East Timor Mr Peter Martin Executive Director Institute Current World Affairs West Wheelock St Hanover New Hampshire 03755 Dear Peter As I peered through classroom window I witnessed educa tional scene I before There chairs desks blackboard nothing windows Forty third graders tered across floor teacher writing unpainted where blackboard The walls covered graffiti quite profane Most floor notebooks making effort teacher Indonesian language In years observing education process I found observing wildlife streams native Missouri From tance little detail conclusions However stepping water finds players about unnaturally there stirred hopes observing normal events abandoned Thus I adopt strategies observing streams schools stealth Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation Four West Wheelock Street Hanover New Hampshire 03755 U S A No furnishings plenty smiles Number Primary School Bekora Dili residence While I intend focus latter East Timor I gaining sight employing former first months residence So I found myself perched watch third grade class The morning My neighbor nearby classroom walked modest quarter I school They there since would return For there activity school neighbor amuse themselves street In schools there different students using classrooms afternoons given teacher student seems classroom hours Education start East Timor In September somewhere tween percent approxi mately schools East Timor burned looted otherwise debilitated When violence finally ended schools people refurnish their demolished homes I school chair homes offices restaurants Even headmaster functioning school Suai served coffee marked SMA Indonesian abbreviation academic senior school This explains where doors windows blackboards disap peared Roofing mostly corrugated sheet metal totally lifted schools militias their exodus across border We Timor later locals repair their roofs There early ognition measures taken wreckage schools East Timor The World Bank which managing trust nation granted U S million East Timor Emergency School Readiness Project ESRP The ESRP Phase One following schools clean covered supplied basic furniture books other learning teaching materials The Bank hoped schools ready students October CG That goals ESRP Phase One achieved January easily accessible district capital indicative challenges faced sectors East Timor emerging education system UNICEF USAID AUSAID UN Peace Keeping Force several other bilateral international Non Govern mental Organizations NGOs money ESRP carry blicized reroofing campaign In dividual schools evaluated prioritized local authorities nearly classrooms targeted But project fraught In November interview UNICEF spokesperson acknowl edged second stage their reroofing operation poned months delay shipping materials UNICEF timated reroofing would De cember In Fatumean Kraik remote border village district Covalima primary school small buildings Roberto Carlos village chief showed largest building newly stalled shiny rugated sheet metal Two other buildings covered giant nylon tarps donated monogrammed UN High Commission Refugees The maining school buildings stand roofless Next Roberto hoping permanent traditional grass roofs installed dings support ternational NGO So NGO Many villagers still adequate because grass roofs again months To things difficult source grass several kilometers truck It appears progress slowed crawl categories roofing classroom furnishing Last electricity Dili I needed recharge phone I walked house street which small generator heard running hours In addition being invited phone I discovered purpose generator plies electricity several cheap power tools currently using build chairs desks elementary schools eastern districts East Timor While their production inefficient facili tools better arrange university which imported thousand plastic resort chairs foreign manufacturer costing local economy scarce money The craftsmen making quite little chairs order within month They other contracts after The providing chairs roofs trivial issue pared others facing In terim National Educational Au thority INEA Many textbooks distributed texts subjects grades published Many families East Timor their children notebooks pencils There still sensus about which language schools In districts local education office following national mandates Perhaps visible nagging problem widespread discontent resulting flawed teacher selection carried nearly Teachers various tricts educational levels demonstrate almost weekly front UN fices Dili district offices This discontent education East Timor When Portuguese East Timor effort education Indo nesian sources claim there fewer tioning Portuguese schools Other sources number closer clear children upper class families mostly Portuguese Mesticos mixed opportunity attend school The arrival Indonesia hardly improved matters A report education East Timor Indo nesian occupation published East Timor International Support Center ETISC Darwin Australia makes clear Indonesian educational standards considerably lower East Timor other provinces The facili teaching quality ETISC estimates East Timor achieved independence East Timorese received degree higher education This consti tutes percent population AUSAID gives equally bleak figures about intellectual reserves East Timor percent lation illiterate those years never school It comes surprise teachers Indonesian times ported other areas In donesia Indonesians prised nearly percent primary school teachers junior teachers percent senior teach I heard single these Indonesian teachers still present East Timor Educational administration marily Indonesians departed There clearly shortage qualified educational personnel East Timor today In schools anticipation referendum August As I scribed first newsletter chaos terror precluded organized activities September October During emergency period October June UN Transitional Administration East Timor UNTAET recruited teachers schools Few schools facilities whatsoever occupied trouble Teachers period received month There enough teachers schools hoped permanent teaching position The stage current muddle The teacher selection process place spring summer initiated local educational leaders The stated purpose process select qualified teach would sufficient needs East Timor while staying within education budget The primary teachers secondary school teachers From external perspec these numbers There The US dollar official currency East Timor This still Indonesian rupiah intend purchase anything local market INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS teachers modest United States With population million East Timor strikes other foreigners working possibility It seems problem solution But inside teaching positions repre sented extreme squeeze staff groans comfort predictable There approximately teachers volunteers working primary schools first according UNICEF This slightly higher number ployed years Indonesian occupa In those years primary school stude teacher ratio around The teacher selec process would would teachers primary schools leaving student teacher ratio nearly And With quintessen academician indubitable blind justice examination Twelve East Timorese educational specialist Oxford University compiled primary school teachers The given people being disqualified several prerequisite conditions The completed bubble sheets shipped Australia computer evaluation results returned three later The sections curriculum knowledge methodology At moment board pedagogues apparently altered their education theory score first determine hired teacher Each district filled teaching positions located district scorers The scheme secondary school teacher selection defined The national office agreed qualifications candidates cording their education experience Most districts nearly enough qualified candidates issued throughout East Timor anyone educational minimums apply teaching position Most responses recent graduates Indonesian universities Dili Candidates reviewed national education office assigned positions throughout country Confusion reigned selection process start Many complained being notified about being briefed would admin istered Some prerequisites taking rigid eliminated teachers In districts local education office ignored results reported receiving contrary struc tions national office In other districts there accusations nepotism Many ondary teachers assigned Dili another district Some these still managed collect their Many districts favored local secondary teacher candidates teachers Dili though locals minimum requirements In September cabinet UNTAET asked Inspector General inquiry teacher selection process The resulting report October November spanned pages appendices recommendations which included establishment separate standing mittee investigate complaints regard teacher recruitment While education East Timor still stumbling educa tional bureaucracy running start Who actors develop education system While international NGOs Concern In ternational Rescue Committee Jesuit Refugee Services Oxfam Aide Medicale Internationale France Christian Children Fund several bilateral national agencies USAID AUSAID doing scattered education My colleague California recently elementary school nearly result students inadequate scoring standardized after great protest turmoil discovered computer error CG international educa tional personnel East Timor UNTAET UNICEF The UNTAET education office small confus place No seems charge there petual flock East Timorese youth milling around awaiting sible scholarships study abroad mostly Indonesia It unclear where UNTAET stops INEA starts The UNTAET cation division Mr Tesfamichael Rezene Ethiopian siding Los Angeles years There seven other people working education division think insuf ficient The UNICEF office across UNTAET It thanks white moonrover vehicles parked front The Education Maurice Robson Australian In their sterile ditioned offices almost forget East Timor Mr Robson calmness described UNICEF plans programs education Who UNTAET teacher train I asked When UNTAET about teacher training CNRT replied mysteriously And CNRT Ms Manuela Gusmao Brazil moment If confusing The CNRT Consehlo Nacional Resistencia Timorense umbrella group majority East Timorese litical organizations The CNRT formed Indone times present united front against Indonesia Today still dominant political force East Ti although there internal problems fragmentation occurred still widely respected The president CNRT Xanana Gusmao mander East Timor guerrilla forces after continued resistance struggle political prison Jakarta Although recently clear presidency defacto leader East Timorese Most local education officials East Timorese holding positions within UNTAET CNRT members The UNTAET cabinet member charge Department Social Affairs which oversees INEA Father Filomeno Jacob A prominent CNRT leader Jesuit priest educated Europe reputed speak seven languages The CNRT official organ transitional government At rapport among people organized At times CNRT stonewalled UNTAET decisions programs match CNRT plans Father Filomeno described despotic early months office member UNTAET educa office But commented about CNRT taking control education After should foreigners making sions affecting teaching East Timorese children Plenty would The government Japan fered write national curriculum East Timor It turned The government Portugal teachers East Timor teach Portuguese public schools There dozen international NGOs teacher training Virtually international education people I East Timor scorn teach methods employed East Timorese teachers convinced brighter tomorrow I sometimes thoughts myself I experience though folly The right methods East Timor education surely East Timorese after considerable effort The questions remain How East Timorese educational community tiful experience information internationals INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS present East Timor If lecture listen being schools namic pedagogy If teachers material supposed teaching pedagogy knowledge balanced teacher training program How teacher training program effective there barely enough chalk avail teachers write lesson And where debate about these issues place current society East Timor Kaspar Tetum tutor English teacher third fourth grade students local Catholic school His school recovering quite destruction He showed esson plans They series exercises authored students would complete He would write board En glish translate Indonesian translate again Tetum students would practice orally among themselves Kaspar students anxious learn English biggest problems other teachers He other teachers ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc operating foundation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters provided charge members ICWA available braries professional researchers subscription Phone E Mail ICWA valley Fax Web Site Executive Director Peter Bird Martin Program Assistant Brent Jacobson Publications Manager Ell Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The information contained publication reproduced without writer permission because school education passed become teacher And teacher salary month Adding insult injury attractive dynamic young popular students which older teachers Envy personal competition among teachers troubles budding education system East Timor Yet there reason displayed After freedom arrived Ukun Rasik An government The East Timorese running their schools My neighbor their three daily hours school happily marching every morning clean clothes stubby pencils Watching I confi dence troubles today resolved Yours Author Gabrielson Curt Title ICWA Letters South Asia ISSN Imprint Institute Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Monthly Other Regions East Asia The Americas Mideast North Africa Europe Russia Sub Saharan Africa Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous rience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic sessment international events issues