The Portuguese language is the second official language of Timor-Leste and was chosen as the language of instruction. All textbooks are written in Portuguese and authored by Portuguese teachers. From a practical standpoint, this presents several challenges for Timorese students and teachers:
- The Portuguese language is not used by the people. In most cases, not even the teachers understand Portuguese (spoken or written).
- The “monkey see, monkey do” teaching model is practiced. Since the teacher does not understand the contents of the textbook, they simply copy from the textbook to the board. The student copies from the board to the notebook. There is no additional explanation, and new knowledge is neither applied nor practiced.
- The textbooks are not at all adapted to the Timorese reality. What is the purpose of interpreting a text about kiwis if the average Timorese has never seen a kiwi and does not know what it is?
There are some measures in place that attempt to address these challenges. One example is the CAFE schools project (funded by Portugal and Timor-Leste), where each subject is taught by a Portuguese teacher and a Timorese teacher, exposing students to the country’s two official languages: Tetum and Portuguese.
However, it is Insufficient.
GiraCatavento emerges with the aim of addressing this major challenge, although we do NOT intend to open schools. Our goal is to offer a supplement to education by creating fun and relaxed learning moments.
Adriana Mamede
We want to teach while playing because, for us, this is the best way to learn!
