Key Statistics

The Polytechnic and the nearby Agriculture College in Hera were both gutted in 1999

The following figures give a stark picture of education needs in East Timor.

A profile of the first year of the new University and its developing library service provide some understanding of the seriousness with which the East Timorese regard education - it was better to start with almost nothing than to lose another year of learning.

East Timor

• More than 50% of East Timorese are illiterate.
  
• 80% of East Timorese are unemployed and 40% live in absolute poverty.
  
• The average income is only one US dollar a day and 40% live on less than 55 centimes a day.
  
• 40% of the population is under the age of 15 and 54% are under 20 - this proportion will be increasing.
  
• Only 31% of primary school graduates go on to secondary education.
  
• Only 9% of secondary school graduates go on to university level-education.
  
• Before the devastation of 1999, Indonesians held virtually all of the middle and senior positions in every sector of employment. When the Indonesians left East Timor they left a country bereft of skilled technicians, business people, public servants and teachers.
  
• And they left behind the shells of buildings and not much more - 90% of primary and secondary schools and the entire tertiary education sector were destroyed.
  
• There are simply not enough educated or trained East Timorese to fill government and teaching posts - and training opportunities are inadequate to sufficiently improve the competencies of those who are employed.
  
• The education budget for the whole of East Timor in 2002 is less than that of a major university library in Australia.
  

The University

When the new National University of East Timor (UNTL) first opened for classes on Nov 27^th 2000:

• There were 5,000 enrolled students (1,500 in 1st year), 112 teaching staff, 5 faculties and 45 general staff.
  
• In October 2000, there were 6,500 applicants for 500 first year places at UNTL - despite the lack of resources and facilities, enrolments were increased. Bridging courses were established to assist future applicants with 1,500 enrolled students and 37 teaching staff.
  
• Over 2,500 students traveled overseas to study.
  
• The university was still being rebuilt, with only one building complete and very few operational classrooms. There was very little basic furniture, equipment or stationery and almost no curriculum development materials, class resources or teaching aids.
  
• A team of 4 library staff, working to establish a basic library service in a classroom, provided minimal level access to teaching staff of the few available resources.
  
• There was no accessible library service for students for the first year of classes.
  
• Most staff and students speak only Indonesian and Tetum. In November 2000 there was a ratio of approximately 1 substandard Indonesian language book for every 4 students.
  
• There were no alternative library services, no bookshops and virtually no personal resources for teaching staff and students.
  
• There were 5 faculties (Education & Teacher Training, Agriculture, Economics, Political Science and Engineering) with a common generalist course in First Year.
  
• Most teaching staff had little or no teaching experience and very few teaching resources.

Since opening:

• There continued to be no accessible library services for students for most of the second year. A basic library building became available for library staff in September 2001. It first opened briefly for student access on January 21, 2002 before closing again for repairs.
  
• The available book ration dramatically improved to with the purchase of over 7,500 Indonesian books by the Asia Foundation and others. Many remained in boxes because there was no shelving.
  
• Thousands of English books and 64 boxes of Portuguese language books continue to remain in storage until there is the capacity to handle them.
  
• A Linguistics Institute and Research Centre were established in June 2001. There are plans for additional courses including Health Sciences, Legal Studies, Media & Communications, Architecture and Timor studies.
  
• The ranks of the already inexperienced University teaching staff are being eroded by being elected to the National Parliament or employed in government departments. The former Rector of the University, Dr Armindo Maia, is now the The Minister for Education, Culture Youth & Sports.