A local government official has called on educators attending a four-day meeting in a diocesan pastoral house in Atambua in East Nusa Tenggara’s Belu district, to draft recommendations on improving the country’s educational system. Sixty chairmen and headmasters of Catholic educational foundations and schools in the diocese have been taking part in the August 9-12 meeting organized by the diocesan commission for education to promote better pastoral education standards. “There are three main issues regarding education, particularly in this district. These are the lack of infrastructure, teachers’ competencies and curriculum,” Joachim Lopes, the district head, told participants. Therefore, he said, the meeting “should set out recommendations which can serve as inputs to both the government and Catholic educational foundations.” Lopes said he wanted good communication between the government and Catholic educational foundations to develop a common view on the real situation of schools in the area. Meanwhile, Bishop Dominikus Saku of Atambua highlighted the accomplishments of a free educational system while noting challenges posed by centralized state control. “We have been so proud of our free education. But this is actually a public lie. There is no free education,” he said. State power "has marginalized the rights of the private sector. We do not know what will happen in the next 20 or 30 years. What will Catholic educational foundations and schools be like if the system is so strong?” said Bishop Dominikus, who heads the Bishops’ Commission for Seminary. Related reports: Bishop calls for better educationCatholic education quality ‘must improve’