35 teachers complete online training |22 November 2021
The teachers in a souvenir photograph with guests after they had been presented with their certificate (Photo: Joana Meme)
Thirty-five primary and secondary teachers from schools on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue have completed a three-week online Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop on Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA).
They received their certificate in a small ceremony held on Friday at the Site (Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education) auditorium in the presence of the Minister for Education, Dr Justin Valentin, principal secretaries Odile De Comarmond and John Lesperance
This training was organised in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning and was held from June 7 – 25, 2021.
The training was primarily asynchronous with about 6 - 7 synchronous sessions via ZOOM.
Upon completion of the training, participants are expected to conduct local orientation sessions for their colleagues in their respective school and encourage all higher secondary students to register and take up the C-DELTA online over a period of 3 months.
They are also expected to support and provide guidance as may be required from time to time by those who will register to complete C-DELTA.
PS Lesperance noted that earlier this year, the minister presented his plan for the Ministry of Education to the chief executive and President of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Professor Asha Kanwar, and also discussed possible areas for collaboration and support and since then the ministry has benefited from several projects supported by the Commonwealth of Learning.
“I am happy to report that soon another course will be offered to Special Education needs professionals in introduction to Assistive Technologies. The C-DELTA programme of the COL promotes digital education environments in Commonwealth countries. It works with governments, educational institutions, teachers and civil society organisations to assess digital education competencies, develop learning materials around digital education skills, provide training opportunities for teachers, and monitor student achievement and its relationship to livelihood,” explained PS Lesperance.
He further noted that the C-DELTA programme provides a framework for fostering digital learning and developing skilled citizens for lifelong learning.
“It will foster leaders who can demonstrate how to use information and communication technologies (ICT) effectively and who will influence others around them to use digital technology appropriately and effectively for learning and supporting sustainable development. In our local context, participants who enrolled and completed the training, are now expected to conduct local orientation sessions for their colleagues in their own institution and encourage all higher secondary students to register and take up the C-Delta online course.”
In line with the Ministry of Education’s strategic objective to promote the adoption of online and e-Learning including other networking activities as an efficient cost cutting measure, this training has also established a holistic approach to pedagogical innovation and transformation of the current practices to that of a dynamic technology enabled integration.
The teachers who went through this programme also shared how they benefitted from this online programme and now it is their job to use the experiences gained from the training to make positive and constructive contribution towards the ministry’s strategic goals.
To note, this is the first time that the Ministry of Education organises such a training in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning for its teachers and officers.
Vidya Gappy