The Program Coordinator for Education at the NGO CARE International Timor-Leste Shoaib Danish suggested that teachers across the territory should develop extracurricular activities in schools to make students more active.
A pilot program to prevent students from absenteeism carried out in 97 schools in the municipalities of Bobonaro, Ermera, Liquisa, Manatuto and Viqueque shows that extracurricular activities are important to motivate students to stay at school.
“The activities could encourage children to be active going to schools and make students feel at home,” said Coordinator Danish when presenting the final outcomes of the research of the Pilot Program on Absence Prevention at Garden Beach Hotel, in Dili.
Extracurricular activities recommended include singing, games, painting that could help build the capacity of children and encourage them to stay in school.
Another important way of encouraging students to be active in the classroom is through announcements and immediate response including control students’ daily school attendance.
In response the Director of Education from Viqueque Municipality Emilio Amaral said some teachers have been trained in teaching methodologies to attract students to come to schools regularly.
However according to the Director it also greatly depends on the teachers’ daily teaching methods.
“Teachers have to be creative in teaching otherwise students will feel unmotivated,” said Director Amaral.
The Director of Basic Education at the Ministry of Education Alfredo de Araújo feels proud of Care International’s pilot program as is has made significant progress in the way the ministry can attempt to tackle absenteeism and reduce the number of children who are always absent from the classroom.
“The program has made progress because extracurricular activities, announcements, approaching the parents of absent students can reduce the number of children who are absent from the classroom,” said Director Araújo.
The Ministry of Education is committed to implementing the program across the 13 municipalities of Timor-Leste.
