122 Bacau students graduated as teachers at ICFP
The 16th Graduation ceremony of Instituto CatĂłlico para a Formação de Professores (ICFP – Catholic Institute for Teacher Training), a Marist Teachers’ College in Bacau – East Timor, was held on 5th March, in the presence of over 700 persons in the “Merkadu” the central assembly hall.
The gathering commenced with a special Mass led by Father Manuel da Silva Ximenes. After the Mass, the formal induction of 122 graduates began. Father Avelino Lemos, the representative of the Diocesan Administrator and Governor of the College, and Father Alipio Pinto GusmĂŁo, led the opening prayer and Br Paul Gilchrist welcomed the special guests, families and the students.
Father Avelino presented the Bachelor of Teaching degree to 62 students of the Baccalaureate; he also awarded the Bachelor of Education (Licentiate) to 60 students. The students were slightly overcome with joy by the occasion.
The guest speakers for the occasion were the Director General of Tertiary Education, Dr Maria Philomena Lay, and the former Timorese Ambassador to the United States, his excellency Constansio da Conceiҫão Pinto. Both stressed the importance of education and the role of competent and enthusiastic teachers for the future development of the country. Br Paul presented each with a traditional tais, a decorative cloth given to guests on important occasions.
Bachelor graduate, Beatriz Freitas, spoke on behalf of the graduates and thanked especially the parents and the ICFP staff for the support that they had given to the students, over the journey.
The two-hour ceremony concluded with a short prayer, a song, “Iha dadeer kmanek furak ida ne’e”, (This is a beautiful morning, today), and a final blessing from Father Avelino.
The ICFP, accompanied by a community of three Brothers (two from the Province of Australia and one from the Province of Brasil Centro-Norte), has 237 students, divided into two courses: 186 attend the three years of the baccalaureate and 51 are students of the degree course, which also lasts three years.