The General Director of Cooperative Services of the Ministry of Education (ME) Antoninho Pires said the ministry has distributed 50.000 desks to schools across the whole country.
He said the ministry initially conducted a survey to schools to determine those that lacked desks and then proceeded to distribute them.
“Over the last two years we purchased 100.000 desks and so far we have distributed over 50.000 desks. We still have more 40.000 desks that we are in the process of distributing,” said Director Pires in Kaikoli, Dili.
He said desks being used since 2000 since UNTAET times were of poor quality but that the new desks made of wood and plastic, purchased by the government, have better quality and will last longer.
Meanwhile Member of Commission F (Health, Education, Culture, and Veteran Affairs and Gender Equality), Member of Parliament Leonel Marçal has concerns with the way the desks are being distributed.
“Fatumea Basic School still does not have desks-chairs until now including. Manus Basic School has six classrooms and six desks-chairs only for more than 100 students,” said MP Marçal.
He urged the Ministry of Education to give priority to remote area schools especially schools that are not easily accessible during the rainy season. He also raised concerns over the quality of the new desks.
