Research of educational experiences and ability conducted by Timor-Leste Coalition for Education (TLCE) shows that 26.2% of teenagers in Aileu are still illiterate.
TLCE Program Manager Matias dos Santos said the objective of the study was to highlight that illiteracy was still an issue in Aileu, even though five years ago the Ministry of Education announced that Aileu no longer had any problems with illiteracy.
“We went to Aileu for research and identified that there’s still illiteracy in Aileu,” dos Santos said at his office in Kaikoli, Dili.
The study also found that the highest rates of illiteracy were among girls.
Dos Santos therefore urged the Ministry of Education (ME) to implement its literacy program more seriously.
He said while the program was helpful in that it provided opportunities for people who had not previously received a formal education, it needed to be better controlled by the ministry.
In 2012, the Ministry of Education declared that the five munipalities of Dili, Manatuto, Lautem, Aileu and Oecusse were free from illiteracy.
Member of Commission F (responsible for health, education, culture, veteran affairs and gender equality) MP Ilda Maria da Conceicao expressed concern over the declaration since in reality many people still didn’t know how to read and write.
“The word ‘free’ is quite strong to describe illiteracy levels as some people still can’t read and write, but decreasing is better,” said da Conceicao.
She also said it was difficult for MPs to observe the progress of the literacy program as some learning centers had not yet been established despite money being allocated annually to the program.
