Timor-Leste—Teaching and Leading the Next Generation of Timorese (TALENT)

Timor-Leste’s education sector faces challenges, especially in secondary schools, where many of the 2,702 teachers lack formal qualifications. Of 4,600 teachers, nearly 1,900 are volunteers without formal training, and many others are only partially qualified. Pre-service education is highly theoretical, while in-service training is outdated. The 2020-2024 Education Sector Plan calls for reforms to enhance teacher qualifications and adopt learner-centered methods.

The Teaching and Leading the Next Generation of Timorese (TALENT) project addresses these issues by developing up-skilling programs for teachers and implementing leadership training, with a focus on increasing female leaders, who currently represent only 11 percent.

TALENT works to improve the quality of teaching and school leadership in Timor-Leste’s secondary schools. It addresses critical challenges in Timor-Leste’s education system, including improving teacher qualifications, moving away from rote learning, and fostering modern, learner-centered teaching methods.

TALENT is establishing a Center of Excellence for Teacher Education as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Culture. The project also advises on legal reforms, requiring future teachers to obtain professional certification from the center to work in ministry-supported positions. Additionally, it promotes gender inclusivity by encouraging female leadership through the Women’s Economic Empowerment in Education initiative.

Sample Activities

• Establish a Center of Excellence by developing a detailed implementation plan, finalizing its legal mandate, and securing accreditation for its training programs. The project will also focus on setting up the center’s governance and staffing to ensure the center’s design aligns with its training needs.
• Conduct a thorough institutional capacity assessment to evaluate the current pre- and in-service teacher training programs. The insights from this assessment will guide the center’s implementation plan by analyzing the structure, content, and quality of existing programs.
• Establish a robust operational framework to ensure the ongoing delivery of center-led teacher training programs, including the Secondary School Teacher Up-Skilling and Secondary School Teacher Certification programs.
• Roll out new training programs for both current and future teachers, which will include the development of comprehensive course and training materials.
• Guide the development and rollout of the School Leadership Program, aimed at enhancing leadership skills among secondary school leaders with a focus on organizational management, partnership building, and improving the learning environment.