1st Edition

Rebuilding the Education Sector in East Timor during UNTAET International Collaboration and Timorese Agency

By Trina Supit Copyright 2021
    280 Pages 2 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    280 Pages 2 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This original volume examines the collaboration between East Timorese and international staff in the rebuilding of the education sector during the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) 1999-2002. Using interviews, contemporary newspaper articles and reports from UN sources and the World Bank, the book enables a comprehensive analysis of Timorese agency.

    Examining choices made by the Timorese and drawing comparison with other former Portuguese colonies, the text considers the power of the Timorese elite, the role of nepotism and corruption, the preservation of the Indonesian curriculum and the selection of Portuguese as the medium of instruction and official language - together with Tetum.

    Concluding with a contemporary discussion on the educational achievements for East Timorese children during UNTAET compared with those of today, Rebuilding the Education Sector in East Timor during UNTAET will be of interest to academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of post-conflict studies, post-colonial education and language policy as well as East Timor more specifically. This book will also benefit graduate students and scholars in teacher education.

    Trina Supit completed her PhD at the University of Sydney, Australia. She was a member of the UNTAET Division of Education.

    Preface.  Introduction.  1 The East Timor Context.  2 Colonial Policies in Education.  3 East Timorese and the Internationals.  4 Teachers and their Recruitment.  5 Appropriating the Portuguese Linguistic Heritage.  6 Numbers on a Spreadsheet? East Timorese and the World Bank.  7 The Legacy of Education during UNTAET.  Appendices.

    Biography

    Trina Supit completed her PhD at the University of Sydney, Australia. She was a member of the UNTAET Division of Education.

    "This book is a valuable resource for academics and professionals as well as graduate students, helping them to understand the formidable post-conflict educational challenges and opportunities faced by Timor-Leste in its quest to build a modern and quality education system."
    -Dr. Filomeno Jacob, former UNTAET Cabinet Member for Social Affairs (Dili, East Timor) and Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome, Italy).