Teachers from public schools are benefiting from professional IT training at the VCS Training Centre for the second year running.

This follows the signing of a training contract between the Ministry of Education and VCS, ensuring that teachers get hands-on experience to efficiently integrate technology into the classroom. The aim is also to ensure that all pupils in secondary schools are IT literate.   

Motivated by widespread acknowledgment that technology plays an important role in education, the Ministry of Education and Youth formulated a policy in 1999, the IT Master Plan for Education, outlining all aspects related to the role of IT in education and its implementation throughout the education system. 

Part of this plan addresses Human Resource Development, focusing primarily on teachers and the use of the technology as an integral part of their pedagogical practices and the teaching of it as a subject from the secondary level onwards.

The training programme, compiled by VCS and approved by the ministry, comprises desktop applications courses and entry level technical courses.

Desktop training is mainly competency based as it focuses on development of knowledge and skills using popular desktop productivity tools in the Microsoft Office suite of applications. It involves Microsoft Word document production and management, working with spreadsheets and analysis of data using Microsoft Excel, and website creation using Microsoft Front Page.

Technical courses cover the installation, maintenance and troubleshooting of

various MS Windows-based operating systems. Both desktop applications courses and technical courses are offered up to an internationally recognised level.

Teachers are then able to sit for a number of exams leading to certification of international level. VCS offers internationally recognised VUE (Virtual University Enterprise) certification exams in Seychelles and results are offered immediately to the teachers.

Training sessions are carried out once a week at VCS Training Centre during school term on a half-day basis. These sessions, running over a one-year period, are usually part-time. During school holidays, they may be extended to a full day to suit the teachers' work schedule. Training is conducted by experienced instructors who are themselves internationally certified in desktop applications, hardware and operating systems.

A number of educators from the first group attending the training in 2002 have been appointed as IT Heads of Department (HOD) in their respective schools. In this capacity they have the responsibility to co-ordinate IT curriculum delivery, and to manage all IT related tasks within the school.

Mr. Pascal Fostel, IT Head of Department at Pointe Larue Secondary School, was among the first batch of teachers to benefit from such ta raining programme at VCS last year. Mr Fostel says that a lot of tedious and repetitive tasks have now been made simpler.

"I’ve gained more confidence which has led me to change my teaching strategy, knowing that I can now cope with any questions my students may ask. Keeping students' notes is much easier using Excel. I can now build and upgrade a website and come up with useful activities for Extra Curricular Activities clubs," he says.  

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