On 9 and 10 July, district officials from South Central Timor (TTS) and Malaka participated in their inaugural District Champion bootcamp. This significant event saw the attendance of Januarius Boko, Head of the District Education Agency of Malaka, and Yohanis A Manu, Secretary of the Education Agency of South Central Timor, along with four school supervisors, two of whom will lead on programme implementation in their respective districts.
The collaboration between STiR Education and Bakti Barito Foundation entered into a partnership with TTS and Malaka districts in April and May 2024 respectively, to raise awareness of qualified officials across all levels of the government system and thus ensure sustainability of the learning communities. This is the first bootcamp set up by the programme since the partnership has been formalised.
The District Champion bootcamp exemplifies our commitment to deep learning partnerships within the education system. Beyond familiarising participants with programme objectives and training materials for teachers, the bootcamp fostered discussions on local contexts and challenges. This holistic approach equips participants from both districts with practical insights for effective programme implementation.
A key focus emerged from discussions: revitalising learning communities. These communities are local forums for continuous professional development at the cluster level (6-8 neighbouring schools) and within individual schools, where teachers meet regularly to enhance teaching quality and student learning outcomes. Both districts emphasise that nurturing learning communities aligns perfectly with their priorities. Yohanis A Manu, Secretary of the Education Agency of TTS, emphasised the pivotal role of instructional leadership in advancing teacher competence through learning communities: “Developing teacher competence through robust learning communities ensures alignment across curriculum, teaching methodologies and professional development. We are excited about the support and partnership with STiR and Bakti Barito.”
The financial sustainability of these learning communities emerged as a common concern. The District Education Agency of Malaka underscored its commitment to collaborative efforts in fostering continuous professional development for teachers. “We recognise that nurturing the next generation demands sustained support and collaboration across sectors,” remarked Januarius Boko.
Moving forward, both districts are prepared to disseminate the learnings from the bootcamp through programme orientation and training institutes for school supervisors, principals and teachers.
