The Purposes of Education for Timor-Leste: Critical Discourse Analysis of Tensions, Trends and Gaps of the Views and Perceptions of the Education Stakeholders and Education and Education-Related Documents

Abstract

The education in Timor-Leste has undergone through several educational systems. The European Missionaries and the Portuguese colonial introduced its 'rudimentary' and 'elite-oriented group' educations system before 1975. A 'community needs-base orientation' education system was introduced by Frente Revolucinario de Timor-Leste (Fretilin) party who proclaimed the independence of Timor-Leste unilaterally in 1975. From 1976 to 1999 under the Indonesian invasion, it applied a 'mass education-orientation system'. ... This research is a study to explore the views and perceptions of the government, the churches, an institution that have been played critical role in the sector during the history of the country, the education donors, the parents and community, the teachers, and the students on the purpose of education in Timor-Leste. It analyses their views to identify tensions, trends, and gaps based on the established seven conceptual frameworks designed for the study accumulated from the result of literature review and the education documents.