Seychelles Nation - 06.02.2009
The draft of a new law to lay down the framework for higher education in Seychelles was presented yesterday to a varied group of people concerned with the subject.
The law will harmonise all higher education standards – from secondary to degree level –to ensure they follow international guidelines.
It will affect the governance of higher education, both public and private, the way it is offered and the nature of the institutions that will be set up.
Those present at the International Conference Centre yesterday – including teachers, parents and representatives from the private sector – met the people responsible for drafting the document to hear about its contents.
The half-day meeting was among the many steps the working group responsible for the draft is taking to get feedback from the public.
The framework has been posted on the Canadian-based Commonwealth for Learning website, as well as the Seychelles University Foundation (SUF) website at http://www.sufoundation.sc so as to get as much feedback as possible from international experts as well as people locally.
The leader of the working group, Selby Dora, said this was so that international opinion on the document could be received.
SUF chairman Dr Rolph Payet said: “Seychelles needs the best Higher Education Act and cannot settle for less.”
He added that the meeting “should focus on a more national context and seek to create a more exciting learning landscape for all Seychellois”.
“Let us develop the first education platform for our future generations, the youth of this country, with institutions that will not only advance their prospects academically but also engage them in the sustainable development of our small country,” said Dr Payet.
He asked those present to “move beyond our institutions and let us try to think of the end result, a higher and further education framework in which every Seychellois of every age and status can aspire to develop a profession”.
Work on the new law began last November, with the working group consulting an extensive list of national and international documents before presenting its first draft.
The proposed Act will also pave the way for the University of Seychelles since it deals with the quality, legal and organisational aspects of higher education institutions.
Yesterday’s meeting was a time for people with concerns or suggestions on how to improve the draft to voice their thoughts. The working group will meet again to discuss the points that came up during the meeting and make amendments to the document where necessary.
Mr Dora said once the law is passed it will change the country’s post-secondary education as there will be uniformity in the quality that students receive.
The working group said it plans to have the document ready to be sent to the SUF by the end of this month.
“We are not sure when exactly the draft will become law, as the SUF will then take it to the attorney-general and present it to the cabinet,” said Mr Dora.
