About half the adult population are illiterate. Illiteracy is higher among women. Illiteracy was at 90% at the end of Portuguese rule. In 2006, 10%–30% of primary-school age children did not attend school.
The country has the National University of East Timor. Indonesian plays a considerable role in education. Since the departure of the Portuguese, schools have increased from 50 to more than 800. There are also four colleges
