Trainee teachers to take education degrees locally

Seychelles Nation - 12.02.2010
Local students can now study for bachelor of education degrees in early childhood, primary and secondary education at the University of Seychelles (UniSey).

This has been made possible through a new agreement between the Australia-based Edith Cowan University (ECU) and UniSey.

The signing took place yesterday at the auditorium of the university’s School of Education – which will run the degree courses – in the presence of Minister for Education Bernard Shamlaye, dean of the Faculty of Science at UniSey Dr George Ah-Thew and senior officials of the two universities.

Vice-chancellor Dr Rolph Payet signed the agreement on behalf of UniSey, while the ECU was represented by Dr Jenny Jay, programme director for early childhood studies and acting head of the School of Education.

The accord builds on the long-standing partnership between the ECU and the Ministry of Education in training teachers overseas for the past 14 years.

In the past, yearly groups of newly-qualified teachers at diploma level went to the ECU to complete a B.Ed degree in two years, while under the new agreement the same degree will be taught at UniSey by its own staff. The ECU will oversee the courses’ quality assurance.

Besides delivering the degree courses, the agreement includes components on professional development of staff and student exchanges.

Delivering the courses locally will allow UniSey to reduce costs and to enrol more student teachers annually.
While in the country, Dr Jay – who is accompanied by Professor Cher Ping Lim, director of the Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence for Teacher Education – met and had talks with staff and heads of programmes of UniSey and representatives from the Ministry of Education. They also visited the university campus at Anse Royale.