Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 - Timor-Leste Ministry of ...

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is not compulsory in Timor-Leste and is
not considered a part of the formal educational system, although the National Education Policy 2007-
2012 recognizes the importance of preschool education (UNESCO, 2009).
The impact of these three different systems of formal education in the country is reflected in
the educational attainment of women and men interviewed in the 2009-10 TLDHS.
Early studies have reported that primary school enrolment among children changed little
between 1999 and 2007, growing from 65 percent to 74 percent (UNESCO, 2009). In 2007 only 47
percent of children had completed primary school. The government set as a target the completion of
primary school by all children by 2015 (NSD, 2007).
Table 2.4.1 shows the percent distribution of the de facto female household population age 6
and older by highest level of education attended or completed and according to background
characteristics. Thirty-seven percent of women have never been to school, about 30 percent have
some primary education, 5 percent completed only primary school, 26 percent have some secondary
education or have completed secondary school, and about 2 percent have more than secondary school
education.
Table 2.4.1 Educational attainment of the female household population
Percent distribution of the de facto female household populations age 6 and over by highest level of schooling attended or completed and median
grade completed, according to background characteristics, Timor-Leste 2009-10
Background
characteristic
No
education
Some
primary
16 | Household Population and Housing Characteristics
Completed
primary 1
Some
secondary
Completed
secondary 2
More than
secondary
Don’t
know/
missing Total Number
Median
years
completed
Age
6-9 31.7 67.9 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 100.0 4,243 0.2
10-14 9.4 67.8 1.7 21.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 4,560 3.4
15-19 12.1 15.1 4.1 64.6 3.4 0.6 0.0 100.0 3,329 7.0
20-24 16.0 12.5 7.5 33.1 24.4 6.5 0.0 100.0 2,538 8.6
25-29 25.1 13.5 10.8 20.6 24.9 5.0 0.0 100.0 2,000 6.3
30-34 31.2 13.2 13.9 17.6 18.9 5.1 0.0 100.0 1,601 5.4
35-39 37.4 15.8 12.3 17.1 14.9 2.5 0.0 100.0 1,751 4.4
40-44 55.5 15.2 7.5 8.9 10.8 2.0 0.0 100.0 1,451 0.0
45-49 68.5 15.9 5.2 4.8 3.4 2.1 0.2 100.0 1,186 0.0
50-54 86.8 8.3 1.5 1.7 1.1 0.5 0.1 100.0 1,334 0.0
55-59 89.4 6.5 1.0 1.6 0.7 0.3 0.5 100.0 701 0.0
60-64 96.4 2.2 0.8 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.2 100.0 1,325 0.0
65+
Residence
97.6 1.7 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.2 100.0 1,325 0.0
Urban 21.9 28.4 4.1 24.1 15.6 5.8 0.2 100.0 6,259 4.9
Rural
District
42.0 30.3 4.8 17.4 5.0 0.5 0.0 100.0 21,095 1.0
Aileu 36.1 32.8 4.6 21.2 4.7 0.4 0.0 100.0 1,140 1.8
Ainaro 47.9 26.9 2.5 16.9 4.9 0.9 0.0 100.0 1,554 0.1
Baucau 38.1 30.4 3.6 20.4 6.7 0.7 0.1 100.0 3,195 1.7
Bobonaro 44.7 29.5 4.9 15.8 4.5 0.7 0.1 100.0 2,687 0.7
Covalima 32.8 31.0 5.5 23.4 6.4 0.8 0.1 100.0 1,701 2.3
Dili 16.1 27.9 4.1 25.0 18.7 7.8 0.3 100.0 4,239 5.9
Ermera 51.9 28.2 3.4 13.3 3.1 0.1 0.0 100.0 3,331 0.0
Lautem 30.3 33.5 6.4 22.2 7.1 0.5 0.0 100.0 1,803 2.7
Liquiçá 42.3 31.2 4.0 16.3 5.7 0.5 0.0 100.0 1,665 1.0
Manatuto 34.2 30.6 5.4 19.9 8.9 1.0 0.0 100.0 1,299 2.3
Manufahi 39.4 29.3 4.0 20.4 6.0 0.7 0.2 100.0 1,100 1.6
Oecussi 45.4 30.6 9.8 11.2 2.6 0.5 0.0 100.0 1,698 0.2
Viqueque
Wealth quintile
40.2 31.0 4.6 18.0 5.3 0.9 0.0 100.0 1,943 1.4
Lowest 52.3 31.1 4.4 10.8 1.3 0.1 0.0 100.0 5,397 0.0
Second 46.5 31.6 4.3 14.8 2.7 0.1 0.0 100.0 5,488 0.3
Middle 41.9 29.2 5.1 18.6 4.8 0.4 0.0 100.0 5,564 1.1
Fourth 31.3 29.9 5.2 23.7 8.4 1.5 0.1 100.0 5,500 2.9
Highest 14.8 27.6 4.1 26.7 19.9 6.7 0.2 100.0 5,405 6.2
Total 37.4 29.9 4.6 18.9 7.4 1.7 0.1 100.0 27,354 1.8
Note: Total includes 10 cases with information missing on age.
1 Completed grade 6 at the primary level
2 Completed grade 12 at the secondary level