Howeducationwasaffectedbyarmedconflict

Inthebigframe,wecanseetheeffectonconflicttoeducationinTimorLesteemergesintwodimensions.
Oneisthedimensionrelatedtoeducationalinstitution.Theotheroneisrelatedtothecurriculum.
Institutionally, Timor Leste in postconflict years facing the problem of lacking the teaching force and
facilities,lackingthemanagerialforcetoformulatetheeducationalprograms,andlackofpeoplestrust
tosendtheirchildrentoschool.
AftertheTimoresevotedforindependencefromIndonesiain1999,nearly90%ofeducationalfacilities
andschoolweredestroyed,alargepercentageoftheteachingforcereturnedtoIndonesia(WorldBank,
2004).Thiscouldbethemajornegativeimpactofconflicttotheexistencelearningprocess.
Moreover,asinternationalaiddisbursementtoTimorLestein2006amountedto59.7%ofrealGDPand
64%ofallexpenditureisforinternationalassistance,MinistryofEducationstilllackstheabilitytoexecute
itsentirebudgetduetoweakfinancialmanagementandbudgetforecastingsystem.Specificprograms
andpoliciesfailedtoberealizednotbecauseoflackoffundbutbecauseoflackcapacitytousethese
moneyeffectively.Thiscouldbeoneindirectissuetotheeducationyetcrucialinrebuildingtheeducation
system.
AccordingtoMinistryofEducation (MoE)TimorLeste(2010),over70%ofchildrendidnot makeit to
GradeNineinschool,failingtocompletethefullcourseofbasiceducationinthecountry.Italsotakes
childrenanaverageof11.2yearstoreachgradesix,morethandoubletheamountoftimeitshould.
Ithasbeensuggestedbytworesearchersthatalargeproportionoffamiliesarestillenrollingtheirchildren
inschoollate,notenrollingthematall,orwithdrawingthemearlybecauseofcommunityperceptionthat
watisthoughtisstillirrelevantandunsuitable(lackofrelevanceorcredibility)withtheirownbeliefsand
values(Romiszowski,2005;CaroolandKupczykRumanzuk,2007).Thislackoftrustofpeopletowards
schoolmightberelatedtothenewcurriculumintroducedin2004.
Relatedtothecurriculum,thenewgovernmentintroducedthenewaspectonhowtheyteachthestudent
which have a significant difference compared to what in the past, and it creates problems on
implementingthenewcurriculum.Therearethreeaspectsasthefocus:cultureandhistory,religion,and
language).
DuringbothPortugueseandIndonesiacontrol,Timoresecitizenswerenotthoughtabouttheircountrys
historyorcultures.However,thelackofwillandcapacitytodevelopanendogenoushistoryhasprompted
theMoEtoreleaseaprimarycurriculumthatsimplifiesanddiminishesthenationsrecentpast.Teachers
lackofresourceandsubjectspecificmaterialregardingteachingtheirstudentsaboutTimorLesteshistory.
Therefore,indesperationmanyteachersusedhistoricaltextdonatedbyPortugalwhichlackrelevanceto
the East Timorese context; or use old Indonesia textbooks that present a biased version of recent
Timorese history (Heyward, 2005; Leach, 2007a). This causes problems in difference of socialpolitical
contextandlanguage(BELUN,2010).
In religion aspect, during Indonesian rule, Catholic Church and government collaborate to develop
curriculumandteachingmethodologies.Aftertheseparation,teachingofreligionwasexcludedfromthe
curriculum(2004).Thebeliefofthefirstdemocraticallyelectedgovernmentwasthatreligionheldnoplace
withinitsvisionfortheconstructionofmodernandsecularstate(Molnar,2010).Inresponse,thechurch

mobilizedaseriesofdemonstrationinDili,bringingeconomicactivitytostandstill.Finally,inlate2005,
aftermonthsofcivilunrestovertheissue,compromisewasreached.Religionwasreinsertedintothe
curriculum,butasanoptionalsubjectandwithoutanyformofaccompanyingresourcesupport.
Moreover,newgovernmentdecidePortugueseandTetumasthecoofficiallanguagesofthenewNation,
andintroduceitthroughnewprimarycurriculum.However,mostaspectsoftheIndonesianeducational
system were retained, deferring such transformation until new authority handed. However, when the
curriculumfirstintroducedin2004,fewerthan6%ofteachersreportedfluencyinPortuguese(World
Bank,2004)sothegovernmentgivetheteachersPortugueseLanguagetraining.Buttheydidnotdothe
samewithTetum.SincetheyassumethatmajorityofteachersspeakTetum,theycouldteacheasily.But,
itisfoundthatteachersisunfamiliartoTetuminwritingform.ThisissueledtheteacherstouseTetum
primarilyonoralorexplanatorylanguageofinstruction,whilePortugueseisonlyusedinwrittencontent.
Ironically,recentlyitwasrevealedthat70%ofGradeOnestudent(manywhohadrepeatedthegrade
severaltimes),stillfailedtoreadasinglewordinTetumbasedontheEarlyGradesReadingAssessment
(Wordbank,2010).
In2003,withsignificantdonorassistance,MoEdesignandimplementnewcurriculumforcountryprimary
schoolthat culturallyand sociallyrelevant tothe contextofTimorLesteand intendedtorespond the
characteristicofTimorLesteandatthesametimevaluesitshistoricalandculturalidentity.
Inconclusion,inthepostconflictperiodwecanseehowTimoresestruggletopursuetheirbetter(even
basic)education.However,asweinvestsomemoneyandeffortsoneducation,theresultisnotcomeout
instantlybutittakestimes.ThejourneyofTimorLestetoattainabetterconditionthrougheducation
needabigsupportfromtheinternationalagenciestoacceleratetheirdevelopment.