New working group to carry out education reform

 Seychelles Nation - 23.03.2009
A new team has been set up to carry out a programme of reforms in the local education system.

The working group is made up of professionals in the educational field as well as personnel from industry, commerce and civil society.

Its task is to work on various educational projects in priority areas to be carried out in 2010.
The team was set up following the report by Dr John Nolan, who had looked at the education and human resources development system and how it could be geared to help achieve the objectives of Strategy 2017.

After receiving Dr Nolan’s report, President James Michel set up the National Education and Training Strategy Committee to review the recommendations it made.

The committee advised on an action plan for reform to bring about a high-quality education and human resource development system that remains responsive to national development needs. This will also enable learners to achieve their potential.
Launching the working group on Friday at the Ministry of Education, Minister Bernard Shamlaye said its main priority is to provide for the diversity of educational needs and national development priorities.

He explained that bringing people from different sectors together to work on the educational programme will help to meet the diverse needs of students and the national economy.

The education reform programme has five priority areas, and for each there are several related themes.
For each priority, a task force has been set up and for each theme there is a working group. The role of the task force is to oversee and guide the work of the groups falling under it, which will carry out the more technical work.

The task forces will report to the Education Reform Oversight Committee (Edroc), which will then report to the President and cabinet of ministers. Minister Shamlaye is Edroc’s chairman, and its other members are Minister Patrick Pillay, Minister Macsuzy Mondon, Mohammed Afif, Dr Rolph Payet and Philippe Wong.

Other priority areas for the programme are to ensure quality education, to improve the quality of teaching, to improve the management of educational institutions and to create responsible and empowered students.