Follow us on:

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube

Domestic

Minister Valentin visits Seychelles Institute of Art and Design |22 August 2021

Minister Valentin visits Seychelles Institute of Art and Design

The Minister for Education, Justin Valentin, has said that his ministry will ensure that the environment at the Seychelles Institute of Art and Design (SIAD) is brought to the required standard conducive to learning and working for the students and staff.

The minister made the statement yesterday after visiting the institute, situated next to the Seychelles Advanced Level Studies (Sals) at Anse Royale.

The minister was accompanied by a high level delegation.

The visit was part of his continued support to educational institutions visited, with the aim of identifying successes and challenges, to see how education can be hoisted to the next level.

“Today I have mixed feelings about the institution. Firstly I am happy to have seen and the witness the enthusiasm, eagerness and determination of the students and staff to penetrate the artistic world, but on the other side, I am saddened by the fact that the environment within which they are learning and working is not the kind of environment we necessarily would have wanted them to be learning and working in. I think that we will have to change this status quo,” the minister said.

The minister noted that as main challenges, the facilities need some maintenance and upgrading on the exterior and interior, including some refurbishment and maintenance of the surrounding environment.

He stated that questions regarding matters of the institute in the hands of the Procurement Oversight Unit (POU) was also a challenge.

“But in the meantime, to get students to graduate in this environment, a fantastic job had been done,” Minister Valentin said, noting that he also gave tips to students on what they can do from the skills acquired to enter the world of work after they will graduate from the institute.

The high level delegation accompanying Minister Valentin consisted of the Mayor of Victoria, David Andre; the principal secretary for Education, Dr Odile de Comarmond; the elected member of the National Assembly for the Anse Royale district, Honourable Sylvanne Lemiel; the chief executive of the Heritage Foundation, Benjamine Rose; and other senior officials from the ministry.

The delegation was met on arrival by the director of SIAD, Christine Chetty Payet, and other members of staff, before going on a tour of the facilities offering courses at certificate and diploma level in Fashion, Graphic Design, Fine Art, Textiles, Drawing and Painting, Sewing and Textiles, including Soft Furnishing with regard to upholstery.

During the nearly two-hour tour, the minister and delegation were able to interact with the staff and students.

Mayor Andre, who is also responsible for Culture, said that with the upcoming Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, the visit has given him the opportunity to see what the school is offering in terms of creative arts to fit the new culture image set for the country.

“What I have seen is very interesting and encouraging. I have seen talented and gifted students and this has convinced me more that there is money to be made in the cultural domain. There is an economic value chain attached with culture and we should push that they get the right training to be professionals so that they can earn their livelihood out of what they do,” Mayor Andre said.

He noted that the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, which will replace the department of culture, will be discussed by the National Assembly. He added that the aim of the new institution is to remove partisan politics in culture.

Mrs Chetty Payet, who thanked the minister and his delegation for the visit, said that it had come at an opportune time, especially in the new normal, as they had wanted for them (delegation) to see for themselves if the present location is fit for an institution like SIAD.

“Our main challenge is to do with maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure. We were supposed to get a new school from a donor, but with the pandemic, the project has been put on hold and we have seen that we will be here some time to come. So the place definitely will need to be upgraded and be made more conducive for the students and staff,” she said, noting that the present infrastructure was not designed for an art school.

SIAD has 84 certificate to diploma level students and 28 staff among whom 19 are teaching staff.

The accompanying photographs show Minister Valentin and his delegation interacting with students and staff during the visit.

 

Patrick Joubert

Photos by Louis Toussaint

 

More news