China – Seychelles |04 March 2024

The third cohort of TVET teachers in a souvenir photograph with guests after receiving their travel documents

Third cohort of TVET teachers bound for China this week

A third cohort of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teachers were presented with their flight tickets to China last Friday, where they will be attending a two-month course  at the Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology and the Zibo Vocational Institute.

The group of teachers are from five secondary schools namely Grand Anse Praslin, Pointe Larue, Plaisance, Anse Boileau, and English River, and a professional centre, the Seychelles Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture (SIAH).

The training will run from March 6 to May 9, 2024 and they will undergo specialised training in Ornamental Horticulture, Performing Arts, Sustainable Development and Renewable Energy.

The programme is being jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Government of China under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on December 23, 2022.

The purpose of this training is to enhance the teaching skills of Seychelles’ vocational education teachers, enrich their teaching experience, promote cultural and educational exchange between China and Seychelles and deepen the friendship between the two nations.

Diverse practical teacher training and internship in industry will be also provided to those teachers.

When addressing the recipients, Lin Nan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Seychelles, said that since taking office, she saw the revival of tourism sector and the steady economic and social development in Seychelles.

“However, I also felt that the lack of technical talents has hindered the progress of the country, and the improvement of people’s living. We believe that the development of vocational and technical training will not only provide skilled workers, but also help to create employment,” she stated.

According to the ambassador, over the past years, China explored cooperation of vocational and technical education with Seychelles side.

“Under the framework of the China-Africa Vocational Education Alliance, we invited two cohorts of local teachers to China for training last year. These programmes were very successful and warmly welcomed. We are also working with Seychelles side to set up training facilities, so as to provide a platform for the interested students,” she added.

Ambassador Lin Nan also spoke about the importance of teachers who play an important role in education and asked the Seychellois teachers to take some time to discover the charm of Chinese culture and understand China better.

On this occasion, the Minister for Education, Dr Justin Valentin recalled that since the signing of the MoU between the education ministry and the China-Africa Vocational Alliance in December 2022, 16 TVET teachers have been trained in China by the Alliance.

“The trained teachers were really delighted with the high quality of the training which they received, and display a high level of enthusiasm and motivation for the improvement of the secondary education TVET programme. They were also very thrilled with the rich and amazing culture of China, notably the cultural diversity, the arts and the country’s gastronomy.”

Minister Valentin further announced that through this alliance they have been able to sustain the capacity building initiative as this year 12 more TVET teachers will be trained in China.

The fourth cohort is expected to leave in September, and they will be trained in graphic design, textile and fashion, and electricity and electronics.

“These areas of training are crucial to the further development of TVET in Seychelles, because there is a strong need to prepare skillful and competent learners for the world of work,” stated the minister.

The Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology is ranked first in China for horticulture and sustainable development and renewable energy, and Zibo Vocational Institute is the founding institution of the Alliance for the Performing Arts teachers.

Vidya Gappy

Photos: Ministry of Education