Paulina Quintao – Students have come forward concerned about the quality of teaching in schools across Timor because of teachers who abandon classes because they teach in more than one school concurrently.

Student Antonio da Costa believes the Ministry of Education is failing in its duty of care to prevent teachers on the public purse from double dipping.

"They they have classes at the same time, teachers gives one lot of students a book to read and to copy from while that teacher goes to another school to teach," said da Costa in Dili.

He added some teachers are abandoning public schools so they can go and teach at private schools so he urge the Ministry of Education to come up with a plan to monitor the activity of teachers.

Da Costa said also students feel it the most when they are inadequately prepared to sit national exams in particular for subjects such as mathematics, physics and chemistry.

Member of Parliament MP Eladio Faculto from Commission F (health, education, culture, veteran affairs and gender equality) called on the Ministry of Education to improve its control mechanisms.

"They should be giving warnings to the Directors of the schools for failing to curtail situations where teachers have multiple jobs. They have to be given the choice; they can either be a public servant or work in the private sector. But not both," said MP Faculto.

In response to this issue Minister of Education Bendito Freitas acknowledged the issue and said also his ministry is currently conducting an assessment of all current teachers nationwide. "The teachers who teach in multiple schools will get a sanction," said Minister Freitas.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/education/13092-teachers-double-dipping-and-abandoning-students