International Day of Education ‘Changing course, transforming education’ |25 January 2022
Minister Valentin addressing guests at the launch of activities to commemorate International Education Day (Photos: Thomas Meriton)
Once again this year, the Ministry of Education has joined other countries around the world in commemorating the International Day of Education, which is on January 24.
This year marks the fourth year of celebration, with the theme ‘Changing Course, Transforming Education’.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2018 proclaimed the celebration of this day to mark the importance of education in ensuring peace and development.
The resolution to mark this International Day of Education was authored by 59 member states. This demonstrated the unwavering political will to support transformative actions for inclusive, equitable and quality education for all.
This year’s International Day of Education will be a platform to showcase the most important transformations that have to be nurtured to realise everyone’s fundamental right to education and build a more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful futures. It will generate debate around how to strengthen education as a public endeavour and common good, how to steer the digital transformation, support teachers, safeguard the planet and unlock the potential in every person to contribute to collective well-being and our shared home.
The official ceremony to launch the activity locally took place yesterday at the National Theatre and it was the Minister for Education, Dr Justin Valentin, who got it underway in the presence of President Wavel Ramkalawan, along with senior officials of the ministry.
Minister Valentin said it is crucial for us to ponder on the theme for this year – ‘Changing Course, Transforming Education’ – as it is so relevant and timely especially to what is happening in our own national education system.
He noted that, like the theme suggests, education cannot be stagnant and dormant for many reasons, while one of them has to do with the fact that there is constant evolution in the way societies, including humans and economic developments, progress.
He added that education is a key element needed to meet the current needs locally and internationally.
Minister Valentin also explained that it is very important to meet the international needs, even if we have our own needs since the way education operates and advances on an international front, has a direct impact on us locally.
He used the example of access to universities overseas, where the existing framework in which students can gain scholarships and all the preparation the ministry has to make to get a local student ready for university overseas, all have to be up to par with the manner in which education is evolving worldwide.
Minister Valentin also added that for the past two decades, the education system in Seychelles has been driven under a policy dubbed as ‘Education for a Learning Society’, with the underlining philosophy revolving around how learning in a societal context takes into account all the parameters of change and how learning can be blended in a way that is eventually well integrated in the local society.
He noted the fact that the policy direction has survived over two decades provides an indication that it was well suited and appropriate for the context into which it was grounded.
It is however unfortunate, he said, that we did not accompany the implementation of the policy with a comprehensive research agenda.
Hence, the extent to which the policy has attained what it sought to do cannot be fully determined.
This observation, he added, calls for a new stance on research, not only in education but in the country in general, while the establishment of a centre for socio-economic research in the Seychelles is imminent and justified on many grounds.
“This country has relied too much, far too long on philosophical discourses to base policy decisions. We need more evidence-based policy decision, we need more research activities and more systematic datasets to drive change and be responsive to both national and international dynamics. I am happy to report that the current government subscribes to the idea of evidence-based decision-making and ready to push forward such agenda. I will do my part to propel the education team in that direction,” he added.
The activities to commemorate the International Day of Education will continue today with a presentation under the theme ‘Managing Covid-19’.
In the presentation the audience will have a better insight into what the schools around the country have done to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and how they have been coping with the crisis.
It will also feature presentations on recovering and restoring learning.
Roland Duval
