Education Medium Term Strategic Plan launched |14 April 2015

After the years 2013 and 2014 had been dedicated to its formulation, the Education Medium Term Strategic Plan for 2013-2017 and beyond was officially launched at the International Conference Centre (ICCS) yesterday afternoon.

The Education Medium Term Strategic Plan has been defined with the help of the European Union (EU), Unesco, the World Bank and Dr John Nolan, consultant from the National University of Ireland.

The ceremony was attended by Vice-President Danny Faure, Speaker of the National Assembly Honourable Patrick Herminie, acting Chief Justice Durai Karunakaran, government ministers, other members of the National Assembly (MNAs), education officials and partners, teachers, parents and students.

The strategic plan which is a direct result of the 2009-2010 Education Reform Plan is aimed at defining the aims and priorities of the education sector in four core areas. These are early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education. It also caters for technical and vocational education as well as lifelong learning.

The plan has been defined as different from other education strategies because it clearly spells out the role of the Ministry of Education and is aligned with budget protocols.

It also encourages public private partnership (PPP) as well as community involvement.
It is believed that this will secure more stakeholders’ involvement and will build more capacity within the ministry.

In the end, it is expected that the strategy will ensure the modernisation of Seychelles’ education sector through an efficient partnership process.

While launching the strategy, the Minister for Education Macsuzy Mondon commented that this modernisation has already started with the appointment of a second principal secretary in her ministry, appointment which she said will help bring about reforms.

Minister Mondon described the strategy as a major education initiative and a roadmap of the education journey we plan to travel on to 2017 which will impact on and transform the education system and shape our future development.

Reminding that Seychelles has already achieved a lot in transforming the education system while maintaining the delivery of a high level of education, she stressed that it was necessary to continue to engage in the transformation beyond 2020.

She emphasised that the successful implementation of the reform will require the collaboration of all involved in the education system: education officials, school council chairpersons, directors, teachers, parents and students.

The education minister warned that “the most challenging task is the enhancement of teaching at all levels” and that “the success of the strategy depends on the availability of quality teachers”.

“Nothing matters more than good teachers”, she said.
In this view, she concluded that the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (Site) will have a major role to play in providing quality teachers in the coming years.

During yesterday’s ceremony, parents, students and teachers pledged their commitment to the strategy.

Respectively represented by Annarita Hoareau, Emilie Desir and Alain Reddy, they received a copy of the plan from the hands of Minister Mondon.

The education minister also presented a copy to Vice-President Faure, Speaker Herminie, colleague ministers, EU and Unesco representatives as well as to other partners.