Timorese Minister of Education Wants to See Increasingly Independent CAFE Schools

Lisbon, 22 May 2019 (Observador)

Dulce Soares, the Timorese Minister of Education, has called for the Learning and School Formation Centers (CAFE) to become more independent and to extend their intervention to neighbouring public schools across Timor-Leste.

Minister’s Vision for CAFE Schools

Speaking at the inauguration of new CAFE facilities in Maliana on Tuesday, Dulce Soares outlined a dual strategy for the network’s future:

• Make CAFE schools increasingly self-sufficient and independent
• Extend their reach to neighbouring public schools

“Perhaps this is the way to go, on the one hand making CAFE schools more independent and, on the other, extending the intervention even further to neighboring schools,” she said.

She also confirmed the project’s long-term continuity: “There is no doubt, nor can we question the continuity of the CAFE project, which will continue to exist, will extend their classes until the 12th year. Then, together with Portugal, namely through the Embassy of Portugal, we will define strategies.”

New Maliana Facilities

The inauguration marked the completion of a construction project that began in 2012. The new Maliana CAFE campus includes:

Despite the new facilities, Dulce Soares acknowledged they remain insufficient in capacity. The CAFE of Maliana will therefore continue to share rooms at the Odomau Central Basic School — an arrangement in place since 2010 that, while causing operational challenges, has fostered mutual learning between Portuguese and Timorese teachers.

The daily coexistence between teachers from both schools has undoubtedly enabled mutual learning and the improvement of knowledge for everyone involved. The continued use of some CAFE classes at the Odomau school will allow this exchange of knowledge and experience to continue.

The minister noted that this collaboration helps “strengthen the work of the CAFE Schools in one of its lines of intervention, namely in the training and capacity building of teachers and administrators of local public schools.”

Portugal’s Commitment to Education in Timor-Leste

Portuguese Ambassador to Dili, José Pedro Machado Vieira, described the Maliana centre as “an unequivocal witness” to the East Timorese Government’s commitment to education and to the promotion and consolidation of the Portuguese language in the country.

He highlighted the strategic importance of the CAFE project for both nations:

• Strengthening the training of East Timorese teachers
• Supporting teacher training and school administration capacity
• Contributing to poverty reduction through better-qualified human resources
• More than 80% of Portuguese public aid to Timor-Leste is allocated to the education sector

History of the CAFE Network

The Maliana school — now one of 13 schools in the CAFE network nationwide — has evolved significantly since it first opened in 2010 as a pole of the Portuguese School in Dili:

• 2010: Opened with six Portuguese teachers, covering preschool and Years 1–2 (approximately 120 students), following the Portuguese curriculum
• 2011: A protocol with the Portuguese Ministry of Education led to the creation of Reference Schools using the Timorese national curriculum, textbooks, and school calendar — including the teaching of Tetum
• 2015: A new agreement transformed Reference Schools into the current Learning and School Education Centers (CAFÉ)
• 2019: Maliana now offers classes up to Year 10, with 641 students, 12 Portuguese teachers, and 9 East Timorese teachers (with 3 more to be recruited)

CAFE Network at a Glance

According to Lina Vicente, CAFE coordinator, the network’s current reach across Timor-Leste is: