Creole Institute to become autonomous institution |12 July 2014

The Creole Institute will soon start operating as an autonomous institution and an authority responsible for the development of the Seychellois Creole language and culture in all their aspects.

It will also become the official secretariat of the International Creole Institute.

This will be possible after the National Assembly during its session on Tuesday unanimously approved the Creole Institute Bill 2014.

The Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange presented the Bill for Assembly members’ consideration and approval.

“The objective of the Bill is to establish a Creole Institute of Seychelles that would be known as the Lenstiti Kreol with a view to monitor, regulate and promote the development of the Seychellois Creole language and culture,” Minister St Ange said in  his presentation.

He added that the Lenstiti Kreol will operate as an independent authority under the umbrella of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Minister St Ange went on to highlight the importance of Lenstiti Kreol and the work it has done over the years to develop and promote the Creole language, both nationally and internationally.

“It is important therefore for Lenstiti Kreol to have more autonomy to act, take decisions without having to go through lengthy procedures for approval from a higher authority which very often has other priorities,” Minister St Ange pointed out.

He informed the Assembly that throughout the years the Lenstiti Kreol has gained worldwide recognition and often it has been used as a model for countries which want to develop and promote their mother tongue or national languages.

Minister St Ange noted that it is the Creole language committee which has the mandate to make linguistic decisions on the Seychellois Creole language which Lenstiti Kreol later carries out.

He said autonomy for Lenstiti Kreol will allow it to have a board and thus a clearer mandate for the Creole language committee as well as policies, regulations relating to the Creole language development.

“As it is important to be able to write good standard English and French it is the same for Creole,” Minister St Ange pointed out.

He went on to retrace steps taken by government to ensure the Creole language gains recognition as one of three languages alongside French and English.

Minister St Ange explained that it was in 1981 that government took the decision to create an institution to manage the development of Creole as a language.

During that time Lenstiti Kreol was but a section in the Ministry of Education. In 1987 government moved to make it a separate entity still within the Ministry of Education.

He then went on to salute the effort and enthusiasm of the late Danielle Jorre de St. Jorre to develop and promote the Creole language and to have the lovely and impressive building which houses Lenstiti Kreol renovated through help received from the US government. Today the building is the symbol of the Seychellois Creole culture and identity.

In 2010, government included the Lenstiti Kreol in the Civil Service reform that was being undertaken and it was placed again under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education. It was soon after that it became clear that its role was not in education per se, but more focused on the provision of ways and means to develop Creole in all its dimensions. But still at the same time it helps the Ministry of Education in the development of the needed tools for the teaching profession.

Last year Lenstiti Kreol was moved to become a body attached to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
“Lenstiti Kreol has now become the institute with responsibility to look after our Seychellois Creole language,” Minister St Ange pointed out.

In July last year during an official visit to Reunion, President James Michel called for the move to give Lenstiti Kreol a more important role in international relations. Propositions were made for Lenstiti Kreol to take on an International dimension to enable it to better represent other Creole nations who have the desire to work to place their language and culture in the forefront.

It was on January 10 this year as the Indian Ocean Commission celebrated its 30th anniversary that  Lenstiti Kreol became Lenstiti Kreol Enternasyonal.