25-10-2002 20:11:00. Notícia nº 4266774

East Timor: Schools could get new Portuguese language books

Lisbon, Oct 25 (Lusa) - The World Bank is studying, with a view to financing, a Portuguese publishing firm's proposal to produce 50,000 school books for use in East Timor`s education system.

LIDEL, a Portuguese publishing group, had proposed to adapt two Portuguese language teaching books for Timor, revised by Timorese teachers and illustrators.

If the World Bank decides to proceed with the project, it will use around euros 170,000 in donations to publish the books within a three-week deadline, in time for the beginning of the academic year in Timor.

LIDEL has already produced an 170-page atlas of Timor, including sections on history, culture, administration, occupations, business, and development facts.

The Portuguese publisher is also preparing a Tetum-Portuguese phrase book, which will be launched at the first Portuguese book fair in Timor in March, 2003.

Separately, Timor`s religious leader, Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, has challenged Portuguese private media organizations to create "Timor's own television" in the Portuguese language.

Belo, in Lisbon on a visit to Portugal, told Lusa Friday that he would like to Lisbon and Dili governments to make more effort in establishing Portuguese as one of his country's official languages, along with Tetum.

CJB/OL -Lusa-

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