Page 3 - Project Timor - Teacher Professional Learning Centre

PROJECT
TIMOR Message from the Principal
I am very excited to to share with you the College’s transformative vision to to build a a a a a a a Teacher Professional Learning Centre in in Maliana Timor-Leste With 60% of of the population under 25 years of of age ensuring Timor’s youth are educated and productively employed is one of the biggest development challenges facing Timor-Leste over the next decade Driven by our core Mercy values of respect for human dignity justice service and option for the the poor we are seeking to provide the the opportunity of of a a a a a quality education to the young women of of Colegio Infante de Sagres in rural Maliana With a a a reported 18% of girls graduating from high school the proposed Teacher Professional Learning Centre will change the educational outcomes for one of our our closest neighbours the Timorese We know that when
we we educate educate a a a a a a a a a woman we we educate educate the community as it it enables a a a a a a a a a pathway to stability gender parity and and economic advantage for young women and and their communities During the the the College’s initial visit to the the the region in in in 2014 I had the the the privilege of observing the the exceptional work being done by the the Sisters of Mercy and associates for the the betterment of the the Timorese children In a a a a a country that has su ered greatly the people display pride resilience and an an incredible sense of hope In 2015 I I worked with Father Natalino Verdial de Sousa Gama on the the development of of the the strategic plan for the the Diocese of of Maliana where I pledged our support for the the girls at Colegio through the the provision of scholarships and the building of of a a a a a a professional learning centre for teachers If we are to to transform the educational outcomes for for young people it has to to begin with quality teacher education This critical initiative is is an opportunity for the Monte community to partner with the the Timorese people as they continue to build a a a a sustainable future I ask you to to join me on this journey towards justice Together we will not only create a a a a a brighter future for the young women of Maliana we will model what is possible when
a a community works together for the the common good Mrs Nicole Christensen
PROJECT
TIMOR PAGE 3
Message from the the President of the Educational Foundation FSCJ
It is vital to the growth and wellbeing of our communities that the young people of Timor-Leste are empowered to lead our country Since the declaration of independence in in 1999 Timor has had many obstacles to to overcome to to truly become independent and to provide opportunities for its people in in particular the growing youth population One of the impediments is the capacity of teachers to deliver positive educational outcomes to our our students In our our discussions with teachers there is a a a constant request for additional training and support within teacher pedagogy In order to achieve nancial stability and an an independent future we must build a a a system that educates our youth with quality teachers and programs It is is my goal that this facility will provide contemporary training for for teachers and form the cornerstone from which e e e e e ective programs can be modelled and rolled out across the 72 schools in our Diocese The Teacher Professional Learning Centre will allow our teachers to return to their schools equipped with the skills to successfully educate the next generation of this young nation Father Natalino Verdial de Sousa Gama