Jeanne Siméon appointed minister |15 March 2017

• Will be sworn in today

Jeanne Siméon has been appointed minister and she will hold the new portfolio for Family Affairs.

Mrs Siméon’s nomination was approved by the National Assembly late yesterday afternoon after 17 members voted in favour of her becoming a minister. No member voted against.

Following the approval by the National Assembly of the appointment of Mrs Siméon as minister, President Danny Faure has expressed his appreciation of the support from the members.

In congratulating her, President Faure said Minister Siméon would hold the new portfolio for Family Affairs and that she would be sworn in at State House this morning.

Before taking a vote on Mrs Siméon’s appointment, the members were able to question her on her vision as a minister, what she would do to help improve the quality of life of families, how to enforce discipline in schools and in families, what difference she would make in the life of abused women, her strict personality, if she would be brave enough to tell the president that she does not agree with certain decisions being taken, among other questions.

Mrs Siméon becomes the fourth woman in President Faure’s cabinet after Designated Minister Macsuzy Mondon; Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Idith Alexander; and Home Affairs Minister Mitcy Larue.

Born on July 28, 1952 Mrs Siméon was the Deputy Cabinet Secretary before being appointed minister.

She studied at the Regina Mundi Convent Grammar School and later joined the Seychelles Teachers Training College in 1970 to follow a two-year teacher education course leading to a teacher’s certificate.

In 1985, she completed a Diploma in Education for English Secondary Level course at the National Institute of Pedagogy. Between 1986 and 1989, she studied for her BA (Honours) in Language and Linguistic Science at York University (UK), and obtained her Master in Education Management and Teacher Training at Leeds University (UK) in 1996.

Mother of two children – a daughter and a son – Mrs Siméon, who is now a widow, has served in many positions in the education field, from that of teacher at the Seychelles College Preparatory to studies coordinator at Mont Fleuri primary school and deputy head teacher at Bel Eau primary and Pointe Larue secondary schools.

She was appointed as a language instructor at the Seychelles Polytechnic, School of Education in 1984 and became senior language instructor in 1992.

Mrs Siméon joined the then Ministry of Education and Youth headquarters when she was promoted to the post of assistant director for secondary schools in 1998.

In January 2000, she became the director general for schools and served as principal secretary for education from August 2006 until July 2010 when she was appointed principal secretary in the Office of the Vice-President.

She was appointed Deputy Cabinet Secretary on October 16, 2016.