Bringing digital technologies to remote classrooms in Timor-Leste

Liquica, 11 November 2024 - Filomena de Jesus Alves is proud of the 11 years that she has served as a teacher at EBC Darulete school, which is in a rural village in the Liquica Municipality.  A dusty chalkboard, a few tattered textbooks, and an array of colourful wall charts, are some of the tools which she has diligently used to impart knowledge to thousands of students she has taught. 

In 2020 however Filomena came face to face with the reality that she must evolve and start using digital teaching tools if she is to remain a relevant source of support for her students. 

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were closed for up to 20 weeks.  During that time, we were informed that school lessons were now uploaded to the internet – the Eskola Ba Uma platform,” says Filomena, as she recounts her apprehension about the introduction of this new method of learning. “Some students can use computers with ease, and can access this platform, but as teachers, we are not able to support them or to monitor the proper use of the Eskola Ba Uma platform.”

Despite growing global evidence of the positive impact of introducing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and equipment into the classrooms, challenges remain in Timor-Leste. 

Many schools do not have any ICT infrastructure and are not covered by the mobile networks, while the computer skills of most of the teachers and students is still low. 

With the closure of schools due to COVID-19, UNICEF supported the Ministry of Education to develop and implement distance and flexible learning programmes, which aimed to close the learning gap created by children’s absence from the classrooms.  The Eskola ba Uma -School Goes Home platform was an innovative way to ensure that teaching and learning process continues during that period. 

Eskola ba Uma package combined the use of television and radio programmes, electronic books, an online Learning Passport platform, and printed books for children who are not digitally connected, to ensure that learning continued during the time of the pandemic.

With the pandemic era behind us, the Ministry of Education is keen to keep the Eskola ba Uma platform alive, and to ensure that the ICT knowledge and resources are available to support high-quality teaching and learning.

To support Filomena and hundreds of other teachers who are ready to embrace the use of computer-based teaching tools, the Ministry of Education, with support from UNICEF has trained 158 teachers from Ainro, Ermera, Liquica municipalities on the use of ICT in education. 

The support also includes procurement of computers, tablets and other essential ICT equipment, refurbishment of classroom, provide internet connectivity, support to training students at the 10 targeted schools, and motivational events on the use of ICT. 

The VINCI Energies, through the French National Committee for UNICEF, has provided funding for this undertaking. 

Filomena is excited to have been part of the 48 participants who attended a two-day training on general literacy on ICTs, which was held in Liquica in September this year.  

“I had never used a computer before.  Besides using my smartphone for phone calls, I had not used any other form of technology before this training,” says Filomena, who today is excited about the many possibilities that ICT could bring to the education system. “I now even have an e-mail address, which I am using to access the Eskola Ba-Uma materials, and which is helping me to communicate with other teachers who are also part of the training,” she adds.

During the training, trainers from INFORDEPE, an in-service teacher training institution of the Ministry of Education, took the participants through lessons on the basics of computer use, including how to switch on the computer, how to save documents and how to print.  

The participants were also guided on how to access essential learning applications, such as Eskola Ba Uma, from where teaching resources and story books can be accessed. 

“It was not easy to understand everything in just two days.  But we have opened a WhatsApp group, which is helping us to remain connected as participants and to remind each other on some of the functions we may have forgotten,” says Filomena.  

Filomena also regularly meets up with teachers from nearby schools, who also attended the training, and they continue to help each other to navigate through the different applications that they are using.  In the long run, this first batch of trainees will help to impart this new skill to other teachers at the school. 

Quarterly monitoring visits from Ministry of Education and UNICEF, help to keep track on the progress of the participants and strengthen the skills and knowledge that they received in the two-day training. 

“UNICEF supports efforts to strengthen teachers’ professional development and ensure that their skills remain relevant to the evolving times,” says UNICEF Chief of Education, Umasree Polepeddi.  “This project has played a great role in closing the digital divide and ensure wider access to technologies by teachers and students, including those in the remotest parts of the country.”

Despite the early days uncertainties about using computer-based teaching tools, Filomena today appreciates this opportunity to develop her teaching skills to match the digital revolution in the education system. 

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