Enhancing social emotional learning in state schools |06 December 2023
PS Eulentin and Dr Duraiappah signing the partnership agreement
By Mandy Bertin
A project entitled ‘Promoting Social Emotional Learning at Early Childhood’ is being piloted in three primary schools namely Au Cap, Bel Eau and Plaisance, by the Ministry of Education through the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) technical team.
Assistance to develop an evidence-based Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Framework for Seychelles was obtained from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Mahatma Ghandi Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), based in New Delhi, India in July 2023.
SEL is aimed at improving the social emotional abilities of pupils so that they can acquire the needed skills for them to be future-ready. It helps these young learners to better understand their thoughts and emotions, to become more self-aware, to be more empathetic towards others around them.
The development of the framework is based on the ‘KISME model’ made up of the following key competencies – kindness, interpersonal relationship, self and social awareness, mental focus and empathy.
Unesco MGIEP will also conduct SEL and digital pedagogies capacity building workshops for early childhood, primary, and secondary teachers as well as provide technical support in the carrying out of inclusive education.
The management and early childhood personnel of schools selected for the pilot are responsible for carrying out the project at school level. Key local partners which include other ministries have been consulted regarding the SEL framework.
The partnership between the Ministry of Education and the Unesco MGIEP was formalised yesterday morning through the signing of an agreement at the ministry’s headquarters, Mont Fleuri.
Signing the partnership agreement were the principal secretary for education services, Merna Eulentin, and the director of Unesco MGIEP, Dr Anantha Duraiappah, in the presence of Dr Nandini Chatterjee, the senior national programme officer at the institute and officials from the ministry.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, PS Eulentin said relations with Unesco MGIEP began in November 2022 when the director general for curriculum, Cyril Pillay, attended the Unesco World Conference on Early Childhood Development in Uzbekistan. Mr Pillay met Dr Chatterjee and had discussions on the possibility of engaging in a project on SEL at early childhood level in schools.
“In June 2023, a first mission took place whereby two officials from the Unesco MGIEP came to Seychelles to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education towards the development of SEL Framework,” she said.
“The signing of this partnership agreement will allow the Ministry of Education to obtain technical assistance not only with the development of this framework but also in the training of teachers, the sensitisation of parents and the community on the SEL project. Another area where technical assistance will be availed by Unesco MGIEP is in inclusive education.”
On his part, Dr Duraiappah said we know the present problems of the world, and the mindsets that will help to solve have to be different from the mindsets that have created the problems.
Dr Duraiappah added that he was impressed with the political willingness of Seychelles to start something so ambitious where we will nurture social and emotional competencies.
“I hope in five to 10 years, Seychelles becomes a champion of a new approach to education,” he said.
Training under this project are aimed at elevating teachers’ understanding of the link between SEL and learning and how to make use of the framework by carrying out strategies to build social emotional competencies and positive character in pupils through real life situations and play-based activities.
It is also aimed at empowering teachers on how to embed SEL and teach these competencies in every subject, and create an enabling learning environment that favours the development of SEL.
