Member of National Parliament Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares has questioned the National Development Agency’s (ADN) role in purchasing school desks as that responsibility should fall to the Ministry of Education, with ADN providing only supervision on the project.
“We just want the clarification about the $26,500.000 you gave to the ADN to buy desks,” the Fretilin MP said in National Parliament.
The MP said something must be amiss in the Department of Education for the Prime Minister to entrust the task of purchasing the desks to ADN.
The Member of Commission F (Education, Health, culture, gender equality and veteran affairs) urged the Prime Minister to look into the conditions of schools.
“Many of our children still must sit on the floor,” Soares said.
She said human resources were an important part of a nation and schools should be good environments for students to learn in.
“We should raise the children’s dignity by allowing them to be seated at tables,” she said.
In response to this matter Prime Minister (PM) Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao said the budget of $26,500.000 for the project came from the minor capital projects fund.
He said the problem of a lack of tables and chairs in the schools was like a cancer which was never healed.
“I do not want to see children seated on the floor in 2014. I have asked Ministry of Education about the desks,” said PM Gusmao.
PM Gusmao said data about the conditions of schools had already been collected.
He said each school would receive a budget of $7.000,00 to purchase desks.
“As government chief, I accept this responsibility, and this no more schools will leak or lack electricity,” PM Gusmao said.
