KEEPING THE INTERNATIONALISATION DREAM ALIVE – TAKING SEYCHELLES’ EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO THE WORLD THROUGH SNCATS

Seychelles is among countries that have a long-standing and valuable experience in implementing the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and related policies, notably Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

In order to ensure the full implementation of the NQF, the new Seychelles Qualifications Authority (SQA) Act 57 of 2021 broadened the mandate of the SQA. Article 4 (1) defines the object and functions of the Authority, and its point k) stipulates that SQA will “establish policy and criteria for credit accumulation and credit transfer”.

In living up to the foregoing mandate, and considering the importance of a credit accumulation and transfer system (CATS) in the context of internationalisation of education, mobility of learners, rise of micro-credentials, recognition of learning periods and qualifications, and lifelong flexible pathways for learning, SQA is committed to developing a functional and coherent CATS, aligned with international good practice. This aspiration was conceived at the right time as it coincided with the ongoing review of the country’s NQF, which has also taken into consideration the need for promulgation of regulations pertaining to CATS.

In view of the foregoing, SQA, in collaboration with the Project “Supporting Implementation of the African Continental Qualifications Framework” (ACQF-II), conducted a programme of consultation and planning workshops from 11^th to 16^th March 2024, in Victoria. The consultation week brought together key institutions and stakeholders across the breadth and width of Seychelles’ education and training sector, whose inputs and contributions were to shape the country’s CATS policy and guidelines. As part of the consultation process, the ACQF-II team also conducted visits to the University of Seychelles (UniSey) and the Seychelles Institute of Art and Design (SIAD), where the team held fruitful engagements with top leadership and members of staff.

The Seychelles National Credit Accumulation and Transfer System – Policy and Guidelines (SNCATS) is seen as a key tool in the country’s quest for an internationalised education and training sector. The SNCATS will provide a common understanding and unified framework for implementation of credit accumulation and transfer across all education and training sectors, as well as for the designing and quality assurance of learning programmes in the country.

Undoubtedly, the SNCATS will be a catalyst to student mobility and progression, that will be used by all education and training providers and other stakeholders to support access to education and training, mobility and progression, flexibility of learning pathways and lifelong learning. Further, the SNCATS will cater for the entire education and training system and levels of the Seychelles National Qualifications Framework (SNQF), qualifications acquired from all forms of learning (formal, non-formal and informal) including micro-credentials.

The SNCATS is being developed with a view to:

• Supporting access to education and training, and flexibility of learning pathways;
• Enhancing lifelong learning and employability of learners;
• Creating a common understanding of CATS and its application in Seychelles;
• Enhancing intra and inter institutional mobility of learners within Seychelles;
• Facilitating the vertical, horizontal and diagonal mobility (in-country and international);
• Enhancing the comparability of learning outcomes and qualifications;
• Promoting equity and fairness in the country’s education and training system;
• Supporting the internationalisation agenda of Seychelles' tertiary education and training; and
• Contributing to the enhancement of quality and relevance of qualifications in Seychelles.

The development of the SNCATS is well within the output 2.1 of the ACQF-II Project. According to the ACQF-II Project’s terms of reference, output 2.1,6 entails the development of policy documents and guidelines on credit accumulation and transfer systems for identified countries, working in close cooperation and coordination with the national qualifications framework authorities – in this case, the Seychelles Qualifications Authority (SQA).

Emanating from this collaboration, the draft SNCATS is being prepared based on resolutions and information collected during the brainstorming session of the stakeholder consultative week alluded to earlier. Additionally, literature from key sources from within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Africa (including ACQF), Europe and America will also be consulted.

It is envisaged that come December 2024, Seychelles will proudly showcase her SNCATS to the global audience thereby keeping alive her dream of an internationalised education and training sector.