Dili International School

Dili International School is an international English-language school situated in Dili, the capital of East Timor.

DIS Dili International School Students Meet Xanana Gusmão

Dili International School was conceived in 2002 by a group of parents who were either visiting or living in East Timor, and home schooling their children. There was agreement that a school was necessary to accommodate the tiny international community and East Timorese families requiring English language education.

A resident Australian family, Tony Haritos and Carmel Bates, took up the organisational and funding challenge and in February 2003 Dili International School commenced operations as a multi-age primary school.

Later that year in May, a Preschool class was created. A Playgroup was formed in June 2004, providing a much needed early childhood facility.

Two years later in January 2006, the school expanded to include a Distance Education Support Program for students in secondary grades and a specialist Secondary English as a Foreign Language class.

Enrollments continued to increase until the 2006 East Timorese crisis, which saw a decline in numbers as families left East Timor either voluntarily or at the urging of their employers and governments. The existing DIS stakeholders - owners, staff and families have to overcome great hardships to keep the school open through these very difficult times.

DIS Dili International School Students Meet Xanana Gusmão II

In 2012, Dili International School was authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School. DIS is the only school in East Timor authorized to offer the IB Middle Years Programme. In 2011 DIS became a candidate school for the IB Primary Years Programme.

In April 2013, DIS was accredited by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority to offer the Victorian Certificate of Education in partnership with Haileybury College in Melbourne. This has given the school a globally recognized high school leaving certificate.