Don Bosco Technical High School

The Don Bosco Technical High School is a 3 year vocational institution in Fatumaca, East Timor.

It was established as the Fatumaca Technical School in 1973 and offered two courses: carpentry and mechanics. The School is a privately managed by the Salesians of Don Bosco.^[1]

In March 1981 Father Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo became the Director of the school, where he further developed the program of modern technological education during his two year tenure.^[2]

In 1985, the Fatumaca Technical School became known as STM (Sekolah Teknologi Menengah) where it enjoyed the same level as Senior Secondary School. According to the needs to the country, the School introduced two new courses: electrics and electronics. The school accepts students (male only) from all the districts and follows the curriculum of the Ministry of Education.

All the courses run for 3 years and is divided into 3 semesters per year. The school has 4 practical workshops, fully equipped enabling students do undertake practical work. Currently, there are 16 trainers.

Around 65 percent of the graduates work in government organisations, 25 percent in universities and 10 percent are employed in private companies. Father Andreas Colleja was the director of Don Bosco Technical High School in 1994. The school now has 300 students enrolled in machinery, construction and electrical engineering classes.

All students live in a boarding house and help support the school by growing corn, rice and vegetables and raising pigs, chickens and buffalo. Cultivating 100 hectares with 10 tractors, students feed themselves, school workers, staff and 150 children at a nearby orphanage.

Though the school has a good reputation throughout East Timor, it is short of qualified teachers. Teachers from other provinces can't stay long in this remote place. Salesian priests and brothers now do all instruction.

Getting laboratory tools and materials in East Timor is another difficulty. Despite its difficulties, the school has big plans, including building model water pumping stations, a drinking water pump using bio-gas from animal wastes, and another using electricity generated from solar power.

The school also plans a health clinic, radio station and computer courses in the near future.^[3]

Brother Marcal Amaral Lopes was the Headmaster of Don Bosco Technical High School in 2000.^[4]

References

1. ^ East Timor: The Quiet Revolution 27 June 2010
2. ^ THE NOBEL PRIZE ANNUAL for 1996. 1997: IMG, New York.
3. ^ UCANews October 11, 1994
4. ^ AD2000 October 2000