New Education Project Helps Keep Children in School

Chargé d'Affaires Scott Ticknor and USAID Mission Director Rick Scott joined Vice Minister of Primary Education Dulce de Jesus Soares at the launch of USAID's school dropout prevention pilot program at Fatumassi Primary School in Bazartete, Liquica, on Oct 23. The program works in almost 200 schools in five districts to test methods to reduce the student dropout rate in grades 4, 5 and 6. Education is a major focus of the Government of Timor-Leste, and finding the best ways to keep children in school is important because about two-thirds of Timor-Leste's children do not continue their education into secondary school. At Fatumassi Primary School, children are already writing songs and plays about the importance of staying in school. This project is also working in three other Asian countries: India, Cambodia and Tajikistan. Successful strategies from the program can help prevent children from leaving school throughout Timor-Leste and across the region.