Press Release UNICEF hands over ICT Equipment to boost digital teaching and learning in Timor-Leste

Dili, Tuesday, 17 December 2024 - The United Nations Children’s fund (UNICEF) today handed over Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment valued at US$ 198,430 to the Ministry of Education, in support of current efforts to strengthen the use of ICT in the teaching and learning processes in Timor-Leste. 

The donation, which is set to contribute to enhancing learning outcomes of students in the country, includes 32 laptops, 31 smart televisions, 300 tablets, 30 generators and 32 projectors. These will be distributed to 30 schools from Ainaro, Ermera and Liquica, benefiting up to 17,469 students, 90 out-of-school adolescents and 659 teachers. In addition, students with disabilities will also be trained in the use of ICT equipment such as braille machines. 

“The Ministry of Education appreciates this kind gesture of various ICT equipment, which are earmarked for the enhancement of digital teaching and learning in Timor-Leste. Introducing children and teachers, including those in rural areas, to the many possibilities of digital learning, will have a positive impact on the overall academic performance and social development of every student, regardless of where they live,” said H.E. Dr. Dulce de Jesus Soares, Minister of Education. 

In 2021, the COVID-19 outbreak, which resulted in the closure of schools as a measure to contain the spread of the virus, resulted in the Ministry of Education introducing different digital platforms to support teaching and learning continuity. 

The Eskola Ba Uma – “School Goes Home” platform, is one such platforms developed during COVID-19 pandemic, and which demonstrated the vast potential of digital platforms to effectively deliver teaching and learning materials to teachers and the students. The platforms made use of television and radio programmes, electronic books, the Learning Passport platform to ensure learning continuity at home. 

However, this shift to remote learning exposed huge digital divides within Timor-Leste as many children including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, were left out of learning process. Within many of the rural areas, access to ICT gadgets including mobile phones and computers, is still limited. In addition, rural areas in Timor-Leste do not always have reliable internet connectivity and electricity. 

This ICT equipment which has been handed over to the Ministry of Education, will help to address this uneven pace of ICT introduction in the education system in Timor-Leste. 

“We are living in digital age, where students’ learning and skills development is easily enhanced through digital platforms and applications. Across the world, technologies are helping to shift student’s learning experiences, through allowing students to learning from wherever they are, giving them easier access to learning resources, and giving them opportunities to connect with their peers from around the world,” said Patrizia DiGiovanni, UNICEF Representative. “UNICEF is happy to be contributing to efforts to strengthen the education system and create new opportunities for children to grow and succeed.” 

In addition to the ICT equipment, selected schools will also receive internet data to improve connectivity, while teachers at the benefitting schools will have capacity building workshops to help them build their skills and competencies to use and teach using these devices. 

Since August 2024, UNICEF, together with INFORDEPE have conducted practical workshops reaching 154 teachers from the 10 out of 30 target schools. These teachers will in turn provide training to their peers at their schools as well as introduce this critical skill to their students. 

This equipment has been purchased through the generous support of the UNICEF France National Committee, VINCI Energies and Wemade Co Ltd. 

////Ends 

========= 

UNICEF entrega Ekipamentu Teknolojia, Informasaun no Komunikasaun (TIK) atu hasa'e ensinu no aprendizajen dijitál iha Timor-Leste. 

Dili, Tersa feira, 17 Dezembru 2024 - Fundu Nasoins Unidas ba Labarik (UNICEF) ohin entrega ekipamentu Teknolojia, Informasaun, Komunikasaun (TIK) ho valór $ 198,430 (Dollar Amerikanu Rihun atus ida sia-nulu resin ualu, atus haat tolunulu) ba Ministériu Edukasaun, hodi apoia esforsu atuál sira atu haforsa utilizasaun TIK iha prosesu ensinu no aprendizajen iha Timor-Leste. 

Doasaun ne'e, ne'ebé sei kontribui atu hasa'e rezultadu aprendizajen husi estudante sira iha nasaun ne'e, inklui doasaun laptop 32, televizaun 31, tableta 300, jeradór 30 no projector 32. Ekipamentu sira ne’e sei fahe ba eskola Ensinu Báziku 30 iha Ainaro, Ermera no Likisa, ne'ebé benefísia to'o estudante 17,469 (rihun sanulu-resin hitu, atus haat neen-nulu resin sia), 90 joven sira-ne’ebé para eskola no 659 profesór. 

Doasaun ekipamentu TIK ne’e iha signifikadu la’ós de’it seremónia entrega rekursu sira’ ne’e hanesan investimentu ida iha futuru. Ita-nia esforsu hamutuk hodi sai hanesan ponte ba divizaun dijitál, empodera manorin sira, no fó inspirasaun ba estudante sira atu sai di’ak liután iha mundu ne’ebé mak avansadu ho literasia dijitál no inovasaun no espera ida-ne’e sei ajuda hasa’e prosesu ensinu no aprendizajen ne’ebé sei rezulta iha rezultadu aprendijazen estudante sira nian, hateten S.E. Ministra Edukasaun, Dra. Dulce de Jesus Soares.

Iha tinan 2021, durante tempu surtu COVID-19, rezulta taka eskola sira hotu hanesan medida ida atu kontrola virus ne'e, ida-ne’e rezulta Ministériu Edukasaun introdús plataforma dijitál oin-oin hodi apoia kontinuidade ensinu no aprendizajen. 

Plataforma Eskola Ba Uma - Eskola Goes Home, hanesan plataforma ida-ne'ebé dezenvolve durante surtu COVID-19, no ne'ebé hatudu poténsia boot husi plataforma dijitál sira atu fornese ho efetivu materiál ensinu no aprendizajen ba profesór no estudante sira. Plataforma sira-ne'e uza programa televizaun no rádiu, livru eletróniku, plataforma Pasaporte Aprendizajen atu asegura kontinuidade aprendizajen iha uma. 

Maske nune'e, mudansa ida-ne'e ba aprendizajen remote hatudu divizaun dijitál boot iha Timor-Leste tanba labarik barak inklui labarik sira ne'ebé mai husi antesedente disvantajem, lakon tiha ona prosesu aprendizajen. Iha área rurál barak, asesu ba ekipamentu TIK inklui telemovel no komputadór sira sei limitadu nafatin. Aleinde ne'e, área rurál sira iha Timor-Leste la sempre iha konetividade internét no eletrisidade ne'ebé reliavel. 

Ekipamentu TIK ne'ebé entrega ona ba Ministériu Edukasaun, sei ajuda atu responde ba tempu introdusaun TIK ne'ebé la hanesan iha sistema edukasaun iha Timor-Leste. 

"Ita moris iha tempu dijitál nia laran, iha ne'ebé fasil atu hasa'e estudante sira-nia aprendizajen no dezenvolvimentu abilidade liuhosi plataforma no aplikasaun dijitál sira. Iha mundu tomak, teknolojia sira ajuda atu troka estudante sira-nia esperiénsia aprendizajen, liuhusi permite estudante sira aprende husi fatin naran de'it sira iha ba, fó asesu fasil ba rekursu aprendizajen, no fó oportunidade ba sira atu liga ho sira-nia kolega sira iha mundu tomak," dehan Patrizia DiGiovanni, Reprezentante UNICEF. "UNICEF kontente atu kontribui ba esforsu sira atu hametin sistema edukasaun no kria oportunidade foun ba labarik sira atu sai boot no hetan susesu." 

Aleinde ekipamentu TIK nian, profesór sira iha eskola sira ne'ebé benefisia sei hala'o workshop hasa’e kapasidade hodi ajuda sira hasa’e sira-nia abilidade no kompeténsia atu uza no hanorin uza ekipamentu sira-ne'e. 

Hahú husi fulan Agostu 2024, UNICEF hamutuk ho INFORDEPE hala'o ona workshop pratiku sira ne'ebé atinji profesór 154 iha eskola 10 hosi eskola alvu 30. Profesór sira-ne'e sei fó formasaun ba sira-nia kolega sira iha sira-nia eskola no mós introdús abilidade kritika ne’e ba sira-nia estudante sira. 

Ekipamentu hirak-ne'e sosa ona liuhusi apoiu jenerozu husi VINCI Energies liuhusi Komisaun Nasionál UNICEF Fransa no Wemade Co Ltd liuhusi Komisaun Nasionál UNICEF Korea. 

////Remata.