Sandra Parker – Father Domingos Gusmao is passionate about education and its role in the development of East Timor.

The principal of the secondary college in the remote East Timorese town of Laclubar is visiting Bathurst this week to thank the Friends of Laclubar for their assistance and to ask for more help to enable him to realise his dream for his country.

The Friends of Laclubar was established by Bathurst residents in 2009 to help develop the town of about 13,000 people.

Father Domingos said it was only through education that East Timor would develop. "Without education, we will do nothing," he said.

Father Domingos' own education was interrupted by the outbreak of war in 1975. He survived and worked for a time in the Court of Justice in Indonesia going to The Philippines to study theology in 1994.

Father Domingos also studied in Italy and Portugal. This is his first visit to Australia.

"Your country is very advanced... it is clean and organised, and that is our dream," he said. "It would be wonderful if some of our students could come to study here.

"It is only by studying abroad that we will broaden our horizons and change our mentality. Without education, small problems are ignited into big problems.

"We were oppressed for 24 years and now the Timorese are free to express themselves, but if they don't know the value of leading a good life this expression could be positive or negative in terms of family and society."

The Friends of Laclubar provide scholarships to enable students to complete their secondary education.

When Father Domingos arrived at the school, there were less than 100 students, now there are about 210. The scholarships, valued at $150 each, provide students with three years' tuition.