DOCSLIB.ORG

The SACMEQ II Project in Seychelles: a Study of the Conditions of Schooling and the Quality of Education

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The SACMEQ II Project in Seychelles: a Study of the Conditions of Schooling and the Quality of Education SACMEQ Educational Policy Research Series The SACMEQ II Project in Seychelles: A Study of the Conditions of Schooling and the Quality of Education. Seychelles Working Report by André Leste, Justin Valentin, and Françoise Hoareau Ministry of Education and Youth SACMEQ Ministry of Education and Youth Harare, Zimbabwe Seychelles Foreword The origins of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) date back to 1991, the year when several Ministries of Education in Eastern and Southern Africa started working closely with UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) on the implementation of integrated educational policy research and training programmes. In 1995 these Ministries of Education formalized their collaboration by establishing a network that is widely known as SACMEQ. Fifteen Ministries are now members of SACMEQ: Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania (Mainland), Tanzania (Zanzibar), Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. SACMEQ is registered in Zimbabwe as an Independent Intergovernmental Non-profit Organization. Its Coordination Centre is located within UNESCO’s Harare Cluster Office and is managed by a Director who works under the guidance of a six-member Managing Committee. SACMEQ’s Assembly of Ministers meets every two years and provides overall policy guidance concerning SACMEQ’s mission and programmes. The focus of SACMEQ’s capacity building programmes has been on building the capacity of Ministries of Education to monitor and evaluate the quality of their basic education systems. SACMEQ employs innovative training approaches that include a combination of face-to-face training, hands-on experience, computer laboratory sessions, and on-line support via the Internet. SACMEQ also encourages a unique form of collaboration among SACMEQ National Research Coordinators in the fifteen member countries as they share and exchange skills and successful experiences. In September 2004 SACMEQ was awarded the Comenius Medal for its innovative approaches to delivering cross-national educational research and training programmes. © SACMEQ 2005 This report provides a description of the results of the SACMEQ II Project - SACMEQ’s second major educational policy research project. The results of the SACMEQ I Project were reported in seven national reports for Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania (Zanzibar). The SACMEQ Data Archive was launched in June 2004. This valuable information resource contains data, data collection instruments, manuals, technical papers, and related publications from both SACMEQ projects. Copies of the archive may be obtained by completing the registration form on the SACMEQ Website (www.sacmeq.org). Saul Murimba, Director, SACMEQ Co-ordination Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe. © SACMEQ 2005 Contents Chapter 1 Setting the Scene 1 Chapter 2 The Conduct of the SACMEQ II Project 7 Chapter 3 The Pupils 135 Chapter 4 The Teachers 149 Chapter 5 The Head Teacher and the School 175 Chapter 6 Achievement of P6 Pupils and their Teachers 192 Chapter 7 Equity 200 Chapter 8 Policy Suggestions and Agenda for Action 211 References 224 © SACMEQ 2005 Seychelles Chap1 Chapter 1 Setting the Scene Introduction The Republic of Seychelles, a small island state located in the western Indian Ocean, is an archipelago consisting of 115 islands with a landmass of 445 square kilometres. Only four of the larger islands (Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette) have a permanent sizeable population totalling up to 80,410 (Management and Information Systems Division, 1999). The population is concentrated on Mahé, the principal island, where the administrative centre of Seychelles has been established. Population growth is relatively low at less than 2 percent per year. Seychelles has developed a multiracial society with Christianity as the dominant religion and Creole as the mother tongue. English, French and Creole form the three national languages. Although there have been attempts at diversification, the Seychelles economy depends on tourism. Since 1977, the year of independence, education in the Seychelles has been guided by the following policy concerns: education for all, education for life, and education for social and national development. The numerous reforms that followed independence were driven by the egalitarian principles of providing equal opportunities, the humanitarian principles of social justice and the educational principles of experiential learning. They were spearheaded by structural changes such as “zoning” where “all children had to go to school in their residing districts”, by innovations in the secondary school, and the establishment of the polytechnic as the centre for further education. These reforms were consolidated by the amendment of the education act, expansion of the infrastructure to accommodate new schools, development of support services, and the continued renovation of teacher education. The education system of Seychelles provides full access to ten years of general education, and in the year 1999 the net intake rate into primary schools was 100 percent. Dropout at primary level is not a problem although there are some instances of unexplained absences. In 2000, for example, 60 cases of truancy were being followed-up by the Student Welfare Unit at the Ministry of Education. However, dropouts in the last two years of secondary education were recorded as twenty-five percent in 2000. This may be a sign of deficiencies in pupils’ learning that may need attention. 1 © SACMEQ 2005 Seychelles Chap1 Curricular reform had been initiated in the primary and secondary school with the launching of the National Curriculum Framework and the Ministry has been concerned with implementing strategies to improve the quality of education. The School Improvement Programme (SIP), aimed at improving pupils’ performance by introducing and implementing development planning in schools, has been functioning since 1995. The Quality Assurance Service set up in 1999 to support the internal evaluation of schools (which originated from SIP) and carry out external evaluation of schools is yet another indication of the Ministry’s commitment to high standards and to increase the effectiveness of the education system. The Ministry of Education has also been aware of international trends in the assessment of educational achievement. Both the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), carried out at the primary and secondary levels by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), developed by OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member countries for all 15 year-olds, are examples of mechanisms set up to monitor educational quality in many countries. SACMEQ (Southern African Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality) was a response by Ministers of Education in a group of developing countries in Southern and Eastern Africa to develop a multinational project for monitoring the quality of education. Seychelles had observer status during the first phase of SACMEQ (SACMEQ I) which was aimed at studying a range of educational inputs on the reading achievement of Grade 6 (P6) pupils. On becoming a fully-fledged member of SACMEQ in 1999, the Ministry of Education participated in and supported the SACMEQ II project, which was an extension and refinement of SACMEQ I and included achievement in mathematics and reading comprehension at Grade 6 level. This provided a sound means of evaluating the quality of basic education. The education system Education in Seychelles is comprehensive, co-educational, and free of charge to all Seychellois children for a period of 13 years (from Crèche or pre-primary to secondary). In the year 2000, there were 3,065 children in preschool and over 10,000 pupils in primary schools, and nearly 8,000 students in secondary schools. At the same time, a flexible option system of post-secondary, further and continuing education has been evolving. This includes vocational training institutions under the auspices of other Ministries. Within the Ministry of 2 © SACMEQ 2005 Seychelles Chap1 Education, there is an Industrial Training Centre, a college of further education (the Seychelles Polytechnic), a teacher training college (National Institute of Education), and an Adult Learning and Distance Education Centre. There is no university, and students follow graduate and other advanced courses abroad. However, collaboration and linkages with universities in other countries are being established. The majority of the school population is concentrated on Mahé (88 percent) with 8 percent on Praslin and 4 percent on La Digue. Silhouette, on the other hand, has such a low school population that the primary school has a multi-grade system, and children have to live on Mahé to benefit from secondary education. All children between the ages of 5 to 6 and 15 to 16 must attend school. The Education Act of 1983 made provision for nine years of compulsory schooling. This was extended to ten years in 1991. The Ministry of Education operates six years of primary (P1 to P6) and five years of secondary schooling (S1 to S5). The number enrolled in each group has remained fairly stable at around 1,600 pupils in each year of the primary/secondary cycle. This does not include the 7 percent who attend private primary or secondary schools. (a) Pre-primary (crèche) education
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Seychelles Region: Sub-Saharan Africa Income Group: Upper Middle Income Source for Region and Income Groupings: World Bank 2018
    Seychelles Region: Sub-Saharan Africa Income Group: Upper Middle Income Source for region and income groupings: World Bank 2018 National Education Profile 2018 Update OVERVIEW In Seychelles, the academic year begins in January and ends in December, and the official primary school entrance age is 6. The system is structured so that the primary school cycle lasts 6 years, lower secondary lasts 3 years, and upper secondary lasts 4 years. Seychelles has a total of 16,000 pupils enrolled in primary and secondary education. Of these pupils, about 9,000 (55%) are enrolled in primary education. FIG 1. EDUCATION SYSTEM FIG 2. NUMBER OF PUPILS BY SCHOOL LEVEL FIG 3. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, YOUTH (IN 1000S) AGES 15-24 School Entrance Age: Primary school - Age 6 Upper Secondary Duration and Official Ages for School Cycle: 3 Primary : 6 years - Ages 6 - 11 no data Lower secondary : 3 years - Ages 12 - 14 Upper secondary : 4 years - Ages 15 - 18 Primary 9 Lower Academic Calendar: Secondary 4 Starting month : January Ending month : December Data source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics Data Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics 2016 SCHOOL PARTICIPATION AND EFFICIENCY The percentage of out of school children in a country shows what proportion of children are not currently participating in the education system and who are, therefore, missing out on the benefits of school. In Seychelles, 6% of children of official primary school ages are out of school as shown in Figure 4, which also considers the proportion of children out of school by different characteristics wherever data is available. For example, Figure 4 shows that approximately 8% of boys of primary school age are out of school compared to 5% of girls of the same age.
    [Show full text]
  • TVLC Is Approached to Start Charter School in Elk Grove
    VOLUME LII, NUMBER 41 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN • LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015 TVLC Is Approached to Start Charter School in Elk Grove Parents in the Elk Grove the Elk Grove talks go any Zukoski told The Inde- CCSA, a non-profit group, charter school is the offer School District are asking further. TVLC includes an pendent that, if approved by helps people form charter of $1000 per student for the Tri-Valley Learning Cor- elementary school and a the board, Elk Grove could schools. the first year of a start-up, poration (TVLC) in Liver- middle school in Stockton, open in 2016-17. The other Elk Grove is 70 miles said Zukoski. Source of the Find Out What's more to start a new charter and a K-8 school in San three opportunities, if ap- from Livermore. Parents money is a grant put up by school in their community, Diego. proved, could open in 2017- there are interested in hav- Netflix founder Reed Hast- Happening which is between Stockton Further, it came out in 18. Zukoski emphasized that ing the school. An attempt in ings, who is a supporter of Check Out Section A and Sacramento. board discussion that there they are only possibilities 2012 to start a school fizzled, charter schools. Section A includes The TVLC board, which may be opportunities for now. but since then Gary Davis, Hastings' interest is in school news, information met Sept. 24 in Livermore, TVLC to embrace up to For the Elk Grove school, a charter school supporter, locating high-performing about programs at the Bank- told acting CEO John Zu- three more schools, and have TVLC staff has been talking has been elected mayor, said charter schools in the sub- head Theater and Firehouse koski that they want to know them open by 2018.
    [Show full text]
  • Convention on the Rights of the Child in the Republic of Seychelles from Its Ratification in 1990 up to 1995
    UNITED NATIONS CRC Convention on the Distr. GENERAL Rights of the Child CRC/C/3/Add.64 3 May 2002 Original: ENGLISH COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION Initial reports of States parties due in 1995 Seychelles [7 February 2001] GE.02-41541 (E) 170502 CRC/C/3/Add.64 page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Executive summary ........................................................................................................... 6 I. BACKGROUND TO THIS INITIAL REPORT ....................... 1 - 8 7 II. GENERAL MEASURES OF IMPLEMENTATION ................ 9 - 24 8 A. Measures taken to implement the provisions of the Convention .................................................................. 9 - 19 8 B. Measures to promote public awareness of the Convention ....................................................................... 20 - 22 10 C. Concluding remarks and recommendations ..................... 23 - 24 12 III. DEFINITION OF THE CHILD ................................................. 25 - 29 12 A. Definition of the child under Seychelles law ................... 25 12 B. The age of majority ........................................................... 26 12 C. Other legal minimum ages ................................................ 27 12 D. Concluding remarks and recommendations ..................... 28 - 29 14 IV. GENERAL PRINCIPLES .......................................................... 30 - 46 14 A. Non-discrimination (art. 2) ..............................................
    [Show full text]
  • Education Sector Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2013-2017 and Beyond
    Republic of the Seychelles Ministry of Education Education Sector Medium- Term Strategic Plan 2013-2017 and Beyond A Road Map for the Further Transformation of the Education Process to Achieve Quality Lifelong Education for All and Improve National Sustainable Development November 2014 Foreword The publication of the ‘Education Sector Medium-Term Strategy 2013-2017 and Beyond’ marks a major milestone in the further development of our education sector. Education is a critical investment in our country’s future growth and development. This is emphasized through the broad-based priorities that are encompassed in this Strategy and that will inform and guide the implementation of our education and training programmes, policies, and initiatives over the coming years. This Strategy is ambitious, but ensures that the investments that we are making in our children today support our national priorities and goals. It is focused on addressing challenges, achieving results and providing our children with the knowledge and skills they need to become future productive members of our society and active participants in our economic development. In essence, the concept of quality education and training provision that are relevant to our national needs underpin this Strategy and will remain the ultimate goal of our education sector. The Medium-Term Strategy provides an important frame of reference for the various education stakeholders and all those with an interest in our education and training system, ranging from the learners and their parents, and their communities, to the education and training providers, partners and the wider interest groups. It takes into account the priorities and commitments of the Government expressed through the National Development Strategy 2015-2019 as well as a range of other approved Government policies and strategies.
    [Show full text]
  • Education in Ghana. but If University
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 131 058 95 SP 010 618 AUTHOR George, Betty Stein TITLE Educa-Aon in.Ghana. SPONS AGENCY Offit.':e of Education (DHEW), Washington, D.C. REPORT NO DHEW-OE-75-19119 PUB DATE 76 NOTE 293p. AVAILABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (Stock No. 017-080-01446-7, $3.35) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$15.39 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *African Culture; *Comparative Statistics; *Developing Nations; *Educational Administration; *Educational Development; *Educational History; Foreign Culture; Statistical Analysis; Statistical Data; Student Teacher Ratio; Teacher Certification; Teacher Education IDENTIFIERS *Ghana ABSTRACT This study, after introducing Ghana's history and people, traces the story of educational development since 1951 and describes the present formal educational system. The subject is divided into four categories of consideration. First, the development of education over the years from colonial times through the modern system that has evolved is discussed. Second, a description of the administration and financing of education is outlined. Third, there is presented a detailed outline of the schools and their programs of study from the elementary through the university level. There is a final summation of enrollment and output patterns, educational expansion, and opportunities. Comprehensive tables provide comparative statistics on the numbers and percentages of those involved in the educational process: past and current student enrollment; government expenditures; actual time spent in the classroom; number of trained and untrained teachers; certification of teachers; and degrees available in higher learning. An appendix of selected references is supplied. (JD) *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Sixth Periodic Report Submitted by Seychelles Under Article 18 of the Convention, Due in 2017*
    CEDAW/C/SYC/6 Distr.: General 22 June 2018 Original: English English, French and Spanish only ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Sixth periodic report submitted by Seychelles under article 18 of the Convention, due in 2017* [Date received: 14 June 2018] * The present document is being issued without formal editing. CEDAW/C/SYC/6 Background information 1. The Seychelles is an archipelago of about 115 islands, divided into two main typographical groups: the Mahé group is mostly granitic islands of 43 islands, characterised by relatively high mountains rising out of the sea with very little coastal lands, whereas the coralline group of 73 islands are mostly flat, with few geographical inland features. The land mass is 453 km2, compared to more than 1.2 km2 of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Mahé is the main island and lies between 4 degrees South latitude and 55 degrees east longitude. 2. Politically, the country is relatively stable with regular parliamentary and presidential elections held nearly every five years. In terms of history, Seychelles gained independence from Britain in 1976 and remains a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1977, there was a coup d’état and a single party state was established in 1979. In 1992, a multiparty system took effect and a new constitution was adopted in 1993. 3. Ethnically, Seychelles is diverse due to the various ethnic origins of the population: Africa, Europe and Asia. The society is relatively harmonious in terms of race and there are intermarriages. The estimated population, according to Seychelles in Figures 2016 (National Bureau of Statistics, 2016) was 93, 400, with 46, 300 males and 47, 100 females.
    [Show full text]
  • Uva-DARE (Digital Academic Repository)
    UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) The effect of the language of testing on second language learners’ academic performance in Social Studies: The case of Kreol Seselwa and English in the Seychelles classrooms Zelime, J.; Deutschmann, M.; Rijlaarsdam, G. DOI 10.17239/L1ESLL-2018.18.01.10 Publication date 2018 Document Version Final published version Published in L1 Educational Studies in Language and Literature License CC BY-NC-ND Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Zelime, J., Deutschmann, M., & Rijlaarsdam, G. (2018). The effect of the language of testing on second language learners’ academic performance in Social Studies: The case of Kreol Seselwa and English in the Seychelles classrooms. L1 Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 18. https://doi.org/10.17239/L1ESLL-2018.18.01.10 General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425,
    [Show full text]
  • The Seychelles Framework for Early Childhood Care & Education
    The Seychelles Framework for Early Childhood Care & Education Starting Strong : Winning for Children Winning for Children : A Shared Commitment Foreword The Seychelles Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education, entitled “Winning for Children: A Shared Commitment”, embodies our country’s commitment to young children. It lays down our beliefs and values about children and early childhood and our common vision for a winning start in life for all children in Seychelles. Every child deserves a right start in life. Good quality early childhood care and education provisions guarantee that the rights of all young children are met and their potential developed. It is an indispensable foundation to learning throughout life, as it leads to better educational achievements, responsible citizenship, lifelong health and economic and human development. In Seychelles, we are committed to overall children’s development because we recognize the intrinsic value of childhood and believe that, from the earliest age, children’s development and learning should be fostered through their interaction with caring human beings in secure, nurturing and stimulating environments. It is this conviction that has led us to review and strengthen our ECCE provisions and create an innovative and comprehensive system that will ensure all families’ access to quality education. This policy document, while being deeply anchored in the economic and social realities and ECCE country specific context, has also been inspired by international research findings and best practices. It calls for a broad and holistic approach, with better integration, articulation and coordination of early childhood services. In order for its guiding principles to be adopted and the strategies set out to be effectively implemented by all stakeholders, there is a critical need to have binding agreements and shared responsibility across the sectors and departments involved the parents, civil society and the private sector.
    [Show full text]
  • Streaming in Seychelles: from SACMEQ Research to Policy Action
    Streaming in Seychelles: From SACMEQ Research to Policy Reform André Leste (Seychelles) Department of Education and Human Resources Development Ministry of Education and Youth, P.O. Box 48, Mont Fleuri Republic of Seychelles Telephone: + (248) 283012, e-mail: [email protected] Results from the SACMEQ study have the potential to influence policy reform in systems of education in developing countries and may be shaping the development of education in Seychelles. In this paper, specific results of the distribution of pupil achievement scores in reading and mathematics from fourteen countries participating in the SACMEQ II Project have been analysed to investigate sources of variation. The large variation in the context of Seychelles has been related to the selective effect of ability streaming in the primary school system in Seychelles. Through a description of the persistent nature of this practice some of the equity problems, in terms of learning outcome, teaching learning environment and gender disparity, associated with it have been identified. The ways in which cross-country comparisons of the magnitude and source of variation can be used to situate and clarify the country-specific issue of streaming have been explained. By considering the links that could be developed between international and national research and reform measures in the education system Seychelles an interactive process of policy reform which includes information dissemination, policy dialogue and policy action have been discussed. Introduction There has been an increased worldwide demand for reliable research information to inform educational policy. Complementarily, there has been a growing interest in large- scale scientific surveys in which educational systems are compared.
    [Show full text]
  • Education Iii Project
    AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT EDUCATION III PROJECT REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES (LOAN No ADB/B/SEY/EDU/91/4) SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ONSD NORTH, EAST & SOUTH REGION SEPTEMBER 2002 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ABBREVIATIONS, GOS FISCAL YEAR, GOS ACADEMIC YEAR iv BASIC PROJECT DATA v PROJECT LOGFRAME xv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xvi 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. SECTOR GOALS AND PROJECT OBJECTIVES 2.1 Sector Goals 2 2.2 Project Objectives 2 2.3 Project Description 2 3. PROJECT FORMULATION 3.1 Origin 5 3.2 Preparation and Approval 5 3.3 Negotiation Approval 5 4. PROJECT EXECUTION- ACTIVITIES AND COMPONENTS 4.1 Effectiveness and Start-Up 6 4.2 Modifications 7 4.3 Implementation Schedule 7 4.4 Reporting 8 4.5 Procurement 8 4.6 Financial Sources and Disbursements 8 5. PROJECT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS 5.1 Overall Assessment 12 5.2 Operating performance 12 6. INSTITUTIOANL PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS 6.1 Policy and Organization of Education in Seychelles 13 6.2 Performance of Consultants, Contractors, and Borrowers 14 7. SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 7.1 Social Impact 15 7.2 Environmental Impact 15 7.3 Gender Impact 15 8. SUSTAINABILITY 8.1 Sustainability 16 9. PERFORMANCE OF THE BANK 9.1 Project Objectives and Justification 17 9.2 Project Implementation ad Operating Outcomes 17 10. CONCLUSIONS, LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS 10.1 Conclusions 19 10.2 Lessons Learned 19 10.3 Recommendations 20 LIST OF TABLES 4.1 Sources of Finance as Agreed at Loan Negotiations (UA) 4.2 Financing Plan by Source and Category of Expenditure (UA) 4.3 Planned Expenditure per Year and Category of Expenditure (UA) 4.4 Actual Expenditure per year and by Category of Expenditure (UA) 4.5a Actual Disbursements per Year and by Category of Expenditure (Bank) (UA) 4.5b Actual Disbursements per Year and by Category of Expenditure (GOS) (UA) iii 4.6 Actual Financing by Source and by Category of Expenditure (UA) 4.7 Periods of Sanctions LIST OF ANNEXES 1.
    [Show full text]
  • A Seychelles Case of Beginning Teachers' Perspectives of Support
    A Seychelles case of beginning teachers‘ perspectives of support and challenges in their pursuit of effective teaching practices By Steve Paul Confait A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education Victoria University of Wellington 2014 Abstract Supporting teachers at the start of their career can help them to develop their pedagogical practice, and to understand the educational, political, and school systems within which they teach. Similarly, effective support can enhance the professional development and learning of beginning teachers, and contribute towards their overall path towards greater effectiveness, ensuring quality teaching. Recent education reforms in the Seychelles have placed an expressed focus on improving quality teaching. This study explores the support for and challenges faced by beginning teachers in the Seychelles in their efforts to implement effective teaching practices. In order to understand the phenomenon of beginning teacher support, a mixed methodology within an ethnographic, sociocultural framework with an emphasis on qualitative data was used. Research was conducted in two sequential phases within the Seychelles: in-depth, site-based qualitative cases studies of three beginning teachers and their school-based contexts, followed by a national quantitative survey completed by 56 beginning teachers. The qualitative phase generated data through interviews (with beginning teachers, deputy heads, and heads of department), document analysis and classroom observations in three schools across the main island, Mahe. The findings of this research identified that both the policy context and the more localised practical factors such as resource allocation, confidence in working with student diversity, and collegial relationships, combined to contribute to how beginning teachers experienced their induction period.
    [Show full text]
  • National Financial Education Strategy 2017 I List of Acronyms
    Authors Gerda L. Piprek Chloe Jacquin Acknowledgements We wish to thank the various stakeholders for their time and support in the development of the National Strategy and Plan and, in particular, the Central Bank of Seychelles and the Financial Services Authority. Any errors in the report are the sole responsibility of the authors and comments and questions can be addressed to [email protected]; [email protected]. Photo credits Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture – Seychelles and NATCOF Cover photgraphs and pages 1, 4, 7, 12, 24, 31, 33, 40, 41 Seychelles National Financial Education Strategy 2017 i List of Acronyms AfDB African Development Bank MNO Mobile network operator AKPK Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency MSME Micro, small and medium enterprise (Malaysia) NATCOF The National Consumers Forum ATL Above-the-line (media) NBFI Non-bank financial institution ASP Agency for Social Protection NBS National Bureau of Statistics ATM Automated teller machine NFES National Financial Education Strategy (Seychelles) A-V Audio-visual NGO Non-governmental organization BDS Business Development Services NPS National payment system CARE Campaign for Awareness Resilience and Education OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and CBS Central Bank of Seychelles Development CEPS Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles PPP Public private partnership CINEA Creative Industries and National Events Agency UNDP United Nations Development Programme CIS Credit Information System SADC Southern African Development Community CONFEJES Conférence
    [Show full text]