Seychelles Nation - 15.03.2010
A group of 85 students who have enrolled on the University of Seychelles’ (UniSey) School of Education programme attended an induction session at their auditorium, Mont Fleuri, last week.
These students are following a two-year foundation programme leading eventually to a bachelor of education degree.
During the meeting, UniSey vice-chancellor Dr Rolph Payet spoke about the university and its policies, in the presence of School of Education head Alex Souffe, UniSey’s School of Sciences dean Dr George Ah-Thew and registrar Elvis Julie.
They gave presentations on a variety of subjects such as student regulations, code of conduct, academic calendar and allowances.
Dr Payet said induction is very important for students, as they need to know what is expected from them so they can enter the university’s framework.
He said these students were chosen according to their grades and they had to meet the entry requirements. They are made up of S5 school leavers and those who did not get the necessary grades after their ex-National Institute of Education exams and A-levels.
A-level students who have not performed well can resit the exams and then enrol on the first year of the degree programme after gaining the required grades, Dr Payet said.
“The foundation course is a special one, and we have decided to enrol S5 leavers as there is a great demand for teachers here,” he said.
He added that the programme will equip students with the basic and necessary skills, for example in English, maths, communication and research to better prepare them for degree courses.
The programme, which started on Monday, is certified by Cambridge University, and after achieving that level students can join the degree courses, Dr Payet said.
He said UniSey will help to raise standards in schools, but this does not mean there are no good teachers at present.
Since there is now a university here we can work more closely with the schools, and trainee teachers can do research here for the benefit of the schools, children and students.
“We want to train good teachers to bring about the change that we need in schools; at present there are many expatriates here,” he said.
During the degree course, students will get the opportunity to do their practical work here in our own schools, he added.
Dr Payet said there is also a scheme for teachers who have completed their diploma and advanced diploma, and this will be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
He added that the university does not tap into the budget set by the government for primary and secondary schools. Instead, it uses the scholarship funds which have previously sent students abroad.
“Now we have a university here, and it is offering many courses at cheaper rates for the people of Seychelles,” he said.
The teachers’ training to graduate level will be done in partnership with Edith Cowan University in Australia, the University of London and the University of Reunion.
The School of Education is offering a four-year degree course in early childhood and primary education.
And those who want to teach at secondary level will be able to choose a three-year specialist subject degree that will be followed by a one-year Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
This specialist degree will be offered in a variety of subjects such as English, French, history and geography.
