Five basic schools have been identified by the Education Ministry to be part of a new pilot green school program to be implemented in Timor-Leste.
The schools are in Ainaro, Bobonaro, Aileu, Ermera and Dili municipalities.
General Director of the Ministry Education Antonio Pires said the project was important to educate children about nutrition and the value of local food.
He said it would not affect their daily lessons, as it was an extracurricular activity.
“We want it (the program) to be implemented in all schools, but let the first phase of the program be implemented in some schools as the duration of the program is five years,” he said after signing an MoU with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vila Verde, Dili.
The program is part of the Advance Agriculture project that is being implemented over the next five years.
The program will be implemented by a team from the Advance Agriculture project with the cooperation of teachers and students. Funding is being provided by USAID.
Meanwhile, USAID Project Manager Flavia da Silva said although many Timorese people are involved in agriculture in some capacity, they showed little interest in farming.
She said USAID hoped to develop the green school program to motivate more young people to get involved in agriculture.
“We want to remind students and young people about the importance of the agriculture sector,” she said.
She hoped that through the program young people would get a better understanding about the nutritional value of local food and it would alsocontribute to improving the school feeding program.
She said the team from Advance Agriculture project was providing training to teachers about agricultural practices and modern technique in farming, including the process of making fertilizer.
There are also plans to launch a nutrition and sanitation campaign, as well as a school garden competition.
