LAMDIK International Field Assessment of Bacherlato do Ensinu Báziku Study Program at CFP Timor Leste

Dili Timor Leste, 25 September 2024.

LAMDIK/ACE has carried out international AL on the Bacherlato do Ensinu Báziku (B.EB.) Study Program at Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores (ICFP) in Baucau, Timor Leste. The implementation of this AL is based on the results of the Sufficiency Assessment in the SER ICRP document of the study program that has met the predetermined criteria. The implementation of AL took place from September 22 to 25, 2025. Acting as a team of AL assessors in the study program are Prof. Dr. Ir. Ivan Hanafi, M.Pd. (as coordinator), Prof. Dr. Phil. Ikhfan Haris, M.Sc. (Local Expert who is also Atdikbud RI Timor Leste), and Prof. Rooselyna Ekawati, Ph.D (Assessor 1), and Dr. Widya Karmila Sari Achmad, M.Pd (Assessor 2).

AL activities were carried out fully offline on September 22-25, 2024, the first day of travel and arrival from Indonesia to Timor Leste, the second day and third day of full AL on campus, and the fourth day of Timor Leste’s trip to Indonesia. On the second day, Monday, September 23, 2024, at 8:00 a.m., the arrival of the Assessment Team was welcomed with a traditional ceremony of welcome and the shawl of Timor Leste by the Director of Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores (ICFP), Br. Paul Gilchrist and other ICFP leaders in the campus courtyard attended by lecturers, education staff, and students. The agenda continued with the opening of the Field Assessment (AL) in the meeting room, which was attended by ICFP leaders and lecturers. Beginning with a speech by the ICFP Director and continued with the presentation of the ICFP profile video. Furthermore, the assessor team delivered an introduction and the purpose and objectives of the AL at ICFP, delivered by the Coordinator, which was essentially to clarify, verify, and confirm the data and information on the Self Evaluation Report (SER) document that had been sent by ICFP to LAMDIK. AL activities began to enter the core event, at 09.00-12.00 Dili Time with interviews and discussions related to the SER component consisting of 7 criteria. Assessors use the Sufficiency Assessment (AK) results document as the basis for clarifying, verifying, and confirming data. ICFP was represented by two Deputy Directors, Juvinália Antónia de Fátima Ribeiro, B.EB., M.Ed., Deputy Director of Quality Assurance and Paula Maria F. dos Reis, B.EB., L.Ed., M.PNLM., Deputy Director of Academic Affairs. Discussions and questions and answers conducted by the assessor team, especially to confirm a number of items that are not / have not been explained in detail in the ICFP SER.

Butir-butir dimaksud belum dijelaskan sehingga masih memerlukan klarifikasi dari UPPS dan PS terutama terkait dengan butir (1) Visi Keilmuan Program Studi/Program Studi, (2) Praktik Kependidikan/Pengajaran Mikro, (3) Praktik Pedagogik/Magang Kependidikan, (4) Sumber Daya/Kerjasama dan Kemitraan, (5) Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat/Produktivitas Dosen dalam Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat, dan (6) Penjaminan Mutu/Penjaminan Mutu Internal dan Peningkatan Berkelanjutan.

After a break and lunch, which was prepared by ICFP, AL activities continued with a field check related to the facilities available at ICFP. Among them, there is a computer laboratory with students practicing searching for reading materials on the internet. The interesting thing is, a number of students do their coursework by searching for reading materials from Indonesian journals, which are used to complete their assignments in Portuguese. They prefer Indonesian, rather than English, because it is easy to understand the substance of the material presented. The library is one of ICFP’s mainstays to encourage students to learn with a number of books with at least 3 languages, namely Portuguese, English and Indonesian. Science laboratory facilities are under construction and are expected to be in use by the end of this year.

In the next session, interviews were conducted related to the Research Commission which was newly established in the past year. Present as members of the commission were 2 lecturers who have explained their views on the purpose and function of the ethics commission to ensure a culture of quality in higher education.

The next day (third day) AL activities started at 8.00 am and began with meetings with students and alumni in separate rooms. In the meeting with alumni, a lot of data and information was obtained to strengthen the ICFP SER report. The results of the meeting with alumni illustrate that (1) of the 12 alumni present, 40% of them are public elementary school teachers in Baucau District, Timor Leste, (2) the waiting time to get a job after graduation, the alumni’s answer is less than 2 (two) months. In fact, some of them, one day after graduation, immediately entered work as private elementary school teachers, and some even taught before they graduated, (3) teachers who have taught in schools, generally become role models for teachers who come from other campuses. For example, in preparing lessons, teaching methods in class, mastering the class, and implementing a student center learning approach, (4) while studying at the ICFP campus, alumni stated that they received adequate guidance from lecturers, not only giving lectures but guiding prospective teachers to be confident in teaching in class, (5) the ICFP campus has implemented a lecturer attendance system every day with finger print attendance 4 times a day. Thus, lecturers are easy for students to meet during lectures, (6) ICFP has a professional development program for alumni teachers, which annually invites teachers to workshops to provide new insights, in learning. In addition, alumni are also asked to share their experiences while teaching to be conveyed to students at ICFP, and (7) the income of elementary school teachers from ICFP graduates, which was initially US$ 160 and now earns an average salary of US$ 300-400 a month. In Baucau District, the Regional Minimum Wage (UMR) is US$125, so the teachers’ income is higher than the average wage received by employees outside the school.

During the interview session with graduate users, the Head of Baucau District Education Office, Heads of public and private schools, and foundation administrators were present. The results showed that in general, ICFP graduates have good performance and plan to continue to cooperate, especially to add ICFP graduate teachers. There is even information that one of the first batch of ICFP graduates became the Head of Department in one of the districts in Timor Leste.

To improve the quality of graduates in the future, graduate users also provide several suggestions for improvement, including (1) ICFP graduates need to be equipped with character strengthening, especially better Emotional Quation (EQ), (2) it is necessary to equip prospective teachers with strengthening leadership, so that they can prepare themselves when they become leaders / heads at school or in other institutions / workplaces, (3) it is necessary to strengthen the aspects of discipline at work and other soft skills to students, (4) in an effort to involve children with special needs, so that the inclusion program is a concern in the admission of new students.

The AL activity ended with a meeting with the ICFP leadership in the wrap-up activity of the confirmation results with various elements for 2 full days while on campus. Some small notes were given by the ICFP leadership on the results of the confirmation as outlined in the Minutes (BA) of the AL implementation. Before the signing of the BA, the Director of ICFP, Br. Paul Gilchrist, expressed his gratitude for the AL visit and discussion for 2 full days on the ICFP campus.

The implementation of this international AL is one of the steps and clear evidence that LAMDIK’s reputation as a leading and trusted quality assurance institution in the field of education has been recognized by international education providers. Greetings@LAMDIK.