The Ministry of Education plans to open three new technical schools to focus on the areas of hospitality and tourism, farming and engineering, in addition to opening an academy for fisheries.
These technical schools will be opened in Lautem, Manatutu and Suai districts.
“The technical school for tourism and hospitality will be built in Lospalos, so last month the community there gave 10 hectares of land from the former 745 boarding house. The technical school for agriculture will be built in Betano and the technical school for engineering in Suai. And finally, the fisheries academy will be built in Manatutu and the land has already been handed over,” said General Director for Tertiary Education from the Ministry of Education, Abrão dos Santos.
Director do Santos said the ministry had prepared to invite experts to design the model for the technical schools.
“This is the concern on behalf of the Ministry of Education, especially the Directorate for Tertiary Education, how to tell the Deputy Prime Minister that the state general budget for 2014 could be approved to begin the launch of construction.”
The proposal for the three technical schools is part of the proposed general state budget for 2014, which is up for discussion.
“If the general state budget for 2014 is approved by National Parliament, we could start construction,” said Director dos Santos.
At the same place, Deputy Prime Minister Fernado Lasama de Araujo said education and health problems connected to people’s everyday needs.
“I tell everyone who works at the Ministry of Education to be aware that those who are lazy are better off finding another job,” he said.
Therefore, the Deputy PM called on all public servants in the Ministry of Education to make an effort to work hard and resolve problems facing the nation.
“I asked them, as Timorese people, to make more of an effort.”
Meanwhile, UNTL student Jose dos Santos said the government’s plan to open universities in the districts was good, so final year students could continue their studies there.
“We see that in reality students continue their studies when they come to Dili, but I think the plan is good so parents can ask their children to study in the districts,” said dos Santos.
He also suggested the Ministry of Education open universities in all districts, so final year students could stay in their district.
