Abstract
This article presents a review of medium-of-instruction policy in Timor-Leste a er ten years of independence. The review is set against the provisions for language in the country’s National Constitution and the human development discourses of the Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is informed by a range of literature dealing with language policy and the medium of instruction in linguistically diverse and developing contexts. The article provides an overview of the language situation and the development challenges facing education planners, followed by a critical examination of medium-of-instruction policy over the period 2000-2012. This critique is followed by an explanatory discussion of the mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) policy for Timor-Leste and a consideration of some concerns about MTB-MLE. The article closes with an assessment of the potential of this policy to promote linguistic diversity in Timor-Leste and help deliver on the EFA and MDGs for 2015.
Highlights
Two global initiatives underpin development discourses in the twenty-first century: The Education for All (EFA) initiative aims to bring the benefits of education to every citizen in every society (UNESCO, Education) while the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set eight common human development targets: Gender equality, alleviation of poverty and hunger, universal primary education, reduced child mortality and maternal health, control of disease, sustainability of the environment and global partnerships for development (“The Millennium Development Goals”)
Timor-Leste is among the countries that have pledged their commitment to achieving EFA and the MDGs by 2015
The first declares: To improve access to education, and build a solid foundation for future literacy and numeracy in both Portuguese and Tetum, local languages will be employed as languages of teaching and learning in the first years of basic education, providing a smooth transition to the acquisition of Timor-Leste’s official languages, in accordance with the recommendations of the mother tongue-based multilingual education policy for Timor-Leste. (TLSDP 16)
Summary
Two global initiatives underpin development discourses in the twenty-first century: The Education for All (EFA) initiative aims to bring the benefits of education to every citizen in every society (UNESCO, Education) while the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set eight common human development targets: Gender equality, alleviation of poverty and hunger, universal primary education, reduced child mortality and maternal health, control of disease, sustainability of the environment and global partnerships for development (“The Millennium Development Goals”). The first declares: To improve access to education, and build a solid foundation for future literacy and numeracy in both Portuguese and Tetum, local languages will be employed as languages of teaching and learning in the first years of basic education, providing a smooth transition to the acquisition of Timor-Leste’s official languages, in accordance with the recommendations of the mother tongue-based multilingual education policy for Timor-Leste.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
