The University of Brazil is planning to send home 117 Timorese scholarship recipients for bad grades amid claims of nepotism in the application process.
National MP Manuel Castro said the scholarship recipients were not proficient in Portuguese language and should not have passed the test and selection process.
“They will be returned for getting low marks,” said Castro at the National Parliament.
“I suspect there might be nepotism involved.”
He said the situation was an embarrassment to the government and should be looked at further.
“It would be OK if it was just one or two [recipients being sent home], but it is more than that,” he said.
He urged the National Parliament to establish a special commission to investigate the issue.
“To find out the problem we should investigate and fix it so it will not happen [again] in the future,” he said.
The students began studying in Brazil last year after being awarded scholarships through the Ministry of Education.
General Director Antoninho Pires acknowledged that some students had received poor grades, but said the government was making efforts to resolve the issue.
He said while recipients in question had met the eligibility criteria, education quality in Timor-Leste was different to international standards and not all students could adapt well.
He said the Ministry planned to discuss the issue with the university in Brazil so that students could have another chance to continue their studies.
“But if they (students) make no change they will be returned,” he said.
Pires was unable to confirm the number of students affected as the ministry had no accurate data, but said he would try to find out.
