Dili, 19 October 2026 – Her Excellency Minister of Education Dra. Dulce de Jesus Soares and the Secretary of State for General Secondary Education and Technical-Vocational Secondary Education (ESJ-ESTV), Sr. Domingos Lopes Lemos together with the leader of the Ministry of Education held a presentation of the 2026 Budget Execution and the 2027 General State Budget Proposal in Commission G-National Parliament, Monday.
In the discussion of the General State Budget 2027, the Minister of Education said that in 2026, the Ministry of Education has achieved significant results according to the commitment of the IX Constitutional Government, especially to ensure that schools function and students learn with adequate resources. In 2027, the Ministry will continue the good work that has been done, and will begin to invest more heavily in the quality of learning.
The National Parliament approved a budget of US$117.6 million for the Ministry of Education in 2026. Of this amount, nearly 80%, or four dollars out of five dollars each, is allocated to the salaries of teachers and staff.
As of the end of September 2026, the Ministry of Education has executed 72.5% of its budget: US$77.2 million has been spent, and another US$7.8 million has been legally committed. Execution by economic category is as follows Salary and Wages: 72.2%; Goods and Services: 75.9%; Public Transfers: 88.5%; Minor Capital: 0.7%; Capital Development: 91.2%.
In 2026, the Ministry of Education achieved key results in several priority areas, such as: elaborating and approving the essential legal framework; teacher placement from the Teacher Candidates Scholarship (BK); provide training to teachers, especially on the curricular content of Basic Education Cycle 3 for grades 7 and 8; and support teacher professional development through Local Mentors and Pedagogical Teams. In the area of curriculum reform, the Ministry has concluded the development of curriculum content Cycle 3 for grade 8, and has begun the elaboration of the Curriculum Framework for the National Curriculum for Secondary Education.
The Ministry of Education reaffirms its commitment to continue strengthening Timor-Leste’s education system through the necessary laws and policy framework; guarantee access to all Timorese children, leaving no one behind; and continue to focus on ensuring quality education.
In the Proposed General State Budget 2027. The Ministry of Education proposes a budget of US$117,835,122, allocated to 5 programs, 31 sub-programs and 89 activities. Compared to 2026, the 2027 budget is almost the same, with an increase of only 0.2%. However, within this budget, the Ministry changed the priority to learning.
The proposed budget of the Ministry of Education for 2027 according to economic categories is as follows: Salaries and Wages: US$93,737,845; Goods and Services: US$11,998,515; Public Transfers: US$4,826,680; Minor Capital: US$800,200; Development Capital, US$6,471,882.
Budget 2027 has three main objectives. First, ensure that essential activities continue, such as the payment of teacher salaries and the implementation of regular activities. Second, complete ongoing construction projects. Third, allocate all new funding to improving learning.
