MTB-MLE in Timor-Leste: challenges and solutions

Presenter: Francisca Soares National Coordinator of MTB-MLE Pilot Project

Background

• • Language is one of the problems that is encountering in the education system in Timor-Leste.

A Pilot project for the Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) was developed in order to solve language problem.

Goals

• • • Learning goals Linguistic goals Socio economic goals

Principles

• • • • • To build on what learners know.

To facilitate beginning literacy. To support learners’ identity formation.

To make learning relevant and enjoyable. To promote learner-centered methodologies.

Some challenges

• Low level of teachers’ education qualification. • Infrastructure

Solutions

• • Government of Timor-Leste has to set teacher career regime adequately and place sufficient budgets to build schools. If these problem addressed by the Timor Leste’s government, it is expected that the quality of education in multilingual context of Timor-Leste can be improved.