The issues of standardization and integration in relation to post-secondary education and training will be at the centre of discussions at this year's national education conference which opens this Wednesday September 17.

The conference, to be held Wednesday and Thursday, will be officially launched by the Minister for Education and Youth Danny Faure at the International Conference Centre. Tomorrow's session will take place at the National Theatre.

Mr Carl Filiatreault, the director of Studies for post-secondary education and training for the region of Quebec, Canada, will be the keynote speaker at this year's conference, to be held under the theme "Post-Secondary Education and Training – Towards Standardization and Integration".

Mr Filiatreault, who oversees both the general direction of programmes and their development, will address the issue of competency-based education and training, of which he has wide experience in terms of programme development and implementation.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Education and Youth – the organiser of the conference – Mr Filiatreault was a key figure in the transformation of Quebec's system of education and training using the competency-based approach.

Mr Filiatreault, the press release says, has also worked extensively overseas, for example in North Africa, Latin America and Europe.

During the conference's working session Wednesday, a number of presentations will be made on the PRIMTAF (Programme de Renforcement Institutionnel en matiere de technologie en Afrique Francophone) project which, in Seychelles, has involved curriculum development using the competency-based approach.

There will also be presentations on the work that the Ministry of Education and Youth is presently undertaking on a National Framework for Post-Secondary Education and Training.

Papers will be presented by officials of the Ministry as well as Canadian Consultants from the Collège de Maisoneuve in Quebec, who are facilitating the work on both the PRIMTAF and framework projects.

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