A group of 100 preschool and basic education teachers have attended training on basic literacy and phonetics to meet the 2025 priority plan to continue improving literacy skills in basic education in Timor-Leste.
The President of the National Institute for Teacher Training and Educational Professional Development (INFORDEPE), Domingos Martins, said the training and capacity-building programs are part of the Ministry of Education’s 2025 priorities.
“We are providing training to 100 preschool and basic education teachers, so they can help develop children’s literacy skills and support their learning to read,” he said.
He added that the Ministry of Education, through INFORDEPE, remains committed to improving literacy skills at the preschool and basic education levels.
“Some of our specialists have found that phonetics plays a crucial role in understanding the relationship between letters and sounds,” explained INFORDEPE President Martins.
He appealed to teachers to take full advantage of the training to enhance their literacy knowledge, enabling them to support children’s reading development better.
Meanwhile, trainer Aurora Assunção Sarmento said that t many children still struggle with reading, making the Ministry of Education’s initiative essential.
“Before children can learn to read, they must first understand the sounds of letters,” she explained.She added that the training was essential for strengthening teachers’ knowledge in preschool and basic education, particularly in literacy and phonetics, to help address reading difficulties among young students.
