NON-STATE ACTORS IN EDUCATION
2.2 Non-state education provision
3.1 Regulations by distinct levels of education
- Early childhood care and education (Entry/Establishment ○ Financial operation ○ Quality of teaching and learning ○ Equitable access ○ Quality assurance, monitoring and accountability)
- Primary and secondary education (Entry/Establishment ○ Financial operation ○ Quality of teaching and learning ○ Equitable access ○ Quality assurance, monitoring and accountability)
- Tertiary education (Entry/Establishment ○ Financial operation ○ Quality of teaching and learning ○ Equitable access ○ Quality assurance, monitoring and accountability)
3.3 Supplementary private tutoring
The 2004 Education Act and the 2005 Education (Private Educational Institutions) Regulations, which both cover early childhood care and education to tertiary education, define “private educational institution” as a “private school or educational institution or class regularly attended by 5 or more students which is owned, managed and financed by an individual or a body incorporate or unincorporated”. The regulations examined do not use the expression "non-state actors".
The 2018-22 Education sector medium-term strategic plan uses the term “fee-paying private providers registered with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development”.
2.1 State education provision
State schools
Education is compulsory from age five to 15 years; primary (age six to 11) and secondary (age 12 to 18) education are compulsory in whole or in part. In 2018, there was a total of 29 primary schools (24 state and 5 private) with 9260 pupils enrolled and state enrolment represented 88%; in parallel, there was a total of 15 secondary schools (11 state and 4 private) with 6,996 students enrolled and State enrolment represented 89%. Public schools are state-run and state-funded (Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Education Statistics, 2018).
Non-state managed, state schools
No information was found.
Non-state funded, state schools
Education is free from ages 5 to 16 in primary and secondary schools. However, in 2014, the Human Rights Council Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education stated that school fees and textbooks are free for pre-primary, primary and secondary education in Seychelles, but parents must buy uniforms for primary and secondary schools. Uniforms are at times paid for by the Dedicated Student Fund.
Seychelles has received funds for developing its educational programmes from several multinational sources. The University of Seychelles has a scholarship scheme that is funded by donations from individuals and the private sector.
2.2 Non-state education provision
Independent, non-state schools
There are few private schools in the country: The International School Seychelles, L'École française, The Independent School, Trotters Stop and the Vijay International School Praslin.
In 2021, there were four registered primary private schools (24 public primary schools) and three registered secondary private schools (10 public regional secondary schools). In 2018, private enrolment represented 12% in primary schools, 11% in secondary schools, and 40% in upper secondary schools (Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Education Statistics, 2018).
The independent private establishments mentioned above all seem to be secular. However, the 1993 Constitution (Art. 213) states that a person attending any place of education “shall not be compelled to impart or receive religious instruction”. That said, anything in this article shall not “preclude any religious community or denomination from providing religious instruction for persons of that community or denomination”.
Seychelles does not refer to independent “low-fee private schools” in official documents.
State-funded (government-aided), non-state schools
Provisions exist for registered private educational institutions to benefit from tax exemptions on imported materials up to a certain value, namely in regard to construction and teaching and learning materials. However, no information was found on the number of private schools that are government-aided.
Contracted, non-state schools
No information was found.
2.3 Other types of schools
Homeschooling
Homeschooling is allowed and under the responsibility of the Student Support Services at the Ministry of Education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development set up an online learning centre. It also provided some tips on how to manage family life in isolation on its website as well as mental health wellness tips for quarantine. The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development statesthat we will be living with "homeschooling children" in this time of pandemic.
Market contracted (Voucher schools)
No information was found.
Unregistered/Unrecognised schools
No information was found.
The Ministry of Education and Human Development is responsible to allow, subject to such reasonable restrictions, “supervision and conditions as are necessary in a democratic society, any person, organization or institution to establish a private school”. There is no department on private provision within this Ministry, but the Principal Secretary of Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Education and the Principal Secretary of Tertiary Education, Policy Planning and Administration play a critical role in the registration and supervision of private institutions. They provide strategic leadership, policy direction and guidance for non-state education and training institutions.
Seychelles does not have a religious ministry separate from the Ministry of Education and Human Development that makes decisions on non-state education.
Vision: Different regulations on private education apply to all levels of education. The 2004 Education Act applies to every private school or educational institution providing services relating to early childhood education; primary education; special education; secondary education; post-secondary education; adult and distance education; and vocational education and training. The 2005 Education (Private Educational Institutions) Regulations provide for the registration, operation and regulation of private education provision. The mandate of the Ministry of Education derives from the 1993 Constitution (Art. 33) on the right to education. It specifies that the state must allow, under certain conditions, any person, organisation or institution to establish a public school. It must supervise it in such matters. Parents have the right to choose whether to send their children to a state or private school. Finally, the 2018-22 and beyond Education sector medium-term strategic plan supports any person organisation or institution to establish and maintain a private school “subject to reasonable restrictions, supervision and conditions as are necessary in a democratic society”. It also aims to respect the right of parents to choose whether to send their children to a state or private school.
3.1 Regulations by distinct levels of education
ECCE premises refer to crèche, daycare centre for young children, a playgroup, a pre-school, after school care for children. They are governed by national standards. The country has a private, fee-paying, non-compulsory system of non-formal early childhood education (childcare) for children aged 0 to 3. In parallel, formal early childhood education lasts for two years and is available for children from 3.5 to 5.5 years old. In 2021, there were 32 state and 5 private fee-paying registered crèches offering formal early childhood education. In 2018, private enrolment represented 13% with public enrolment accounting for 87% (Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Education Statistics, 2018).
The Ministry of Education does not regulate childminding services; however, there are a number of guidelines for childcare operations developed by the Public Health Division of the Ministry of Health, the Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (SEnPA) and the Ministry of Community Development and Youth.
Registration and approval: The 2005 Education (Private Educational Institutions) Regulations specify the registration fee for early childhood education, which is Seychelles Rs. 550. For more information, see Multi-level regulations.
Licence: See Multi-level regulations.
Profit-making: See Multi-level regulations.
Taxes and subsidies: All providers of childcare and daycare services are private initiatives; however, they are facilitated by the government's cash transfer system for care services by the Agency for Protection. In addition, private daycare centres receive a subvention on the import of educational materials. In parallel, the 2011 Framework for early childhood care and education aims to introduce “new financing mechanisms to increase investment and resources in ECCE for both the public and private sectors”. It also aims to sustain the Early Childhood Trust Fund by sourcing new avenues of funding in partnership with the private sector. Finally, the Trust Fund Board is appointed by the Minister of Finance and Trade to manage the funds of ECCE. It provides funds for education programmes and related projects for children in the age bracket of 0 to 8 years old. The applicant must represent a registered, licenced organization and contribute 25% of the total amount. For more information, see Multi-level regulations.
Quality of teaching and learning
Curriculum and learning standards: Private schools follow their own curriculum. For instance, the Children’s House, adopts the Montessori approach to early childhood education. Other private schools which prepare students for British or French examinations set their own curricula. For more information, see Multi-level regulations.
Teaching profession: The Certificate course in Child Care and Education is managed and delivered by the National Institute of Education with input from the Ministries of Health and Social Development. All women in the private sector are entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave and up to four weeks of unpaid leave. Pregnant women are offered job security and cannot be dismissed while on sick or maternity leave. There is no provision for paternity leave. For more information, see Multi-level regulations.
Fee-setting: A private educational institution that provide early childhood educational services programme for children under five years old may charge fees in respect of the programme (Education Act, 2004).
Admission selection and processes: See Multi-level regulations.
Policies for vulnerable groups: Needy families receive subsidies from the Social Welfare Agency to attend both private and public institutions.
Quality assurance, monitoring and accountability
Reporting requirements: See Multi-level regulations.
Inspection: See Multi-level regulations.
Child assessments: See Multi-level regulations.
Sanctions: See Multi-level regulations.
Registration and approval: The 2005 Education (Private Educational Institutions) Regulations (2005) specify the registration fee for private primary and secondary institutions, which is Rs. 1000 and 2000 (US$ 79 and US$ 158). For more information, see Multi-level regulations.
Licence: See Multi-level regulations.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): Target 4.a of the 2018-22 and beyond Education sector medium-term strategic plan aims to build and upgrade private and public education facilities. Indicator 30 refers to the percentage of institutions with access to basic drinking water, basic sanitation facilities; and basic handwashing facilities.
Profit-making: See Multi-level regulations.
Taxes and subsidies: See Multi-level regulations.
Quality of teaching and learning
Curriculum and learning standards: See Multi-level regulations.
Textbooks and learning materials: See Multi-level regulations.
Teaching profession: See Multi-level regulations.
Corporal punishment: Corporal punishment is prohibited in schools under section 68 of the 2017 Education Act.
Other safety measures and COVID-19: The Ministry of Education and Human Development published the 2018 National Anti-bullying policy and strategy for primary, secondary schools and professional centres which applies to public and registered private schools.
Fee-setting: No tuition fee shall be charged in respect of a student attending a state primary or secondary school. However, fee may be charged in private institutions (Education Act, 2004, Art. 42).
Admission selection and processes: See Multi-level regulations.
Policies for vulnerable groups: The 2018-22 and beyond Education sector medium-term strategic plan aims to improve access for persons with disabilities, the vulnerable, and the talented. Key strategies include securing a capitation grant for special school children, offering scholarships/bursaries/feeding grants for students with special education needs and working with the Department of Transportation to provide free transportation for students with special educational needs in areas where public transportation is provided.
Quality assurance, monitoring and accountability
School board: See Multi-level regulations.
Reporting requirements: See Multi-level regulations.
Inspection: See Multi-level regulations..
Student assessments: See Multi-level regulations.
Diplomas and degrees: Students in state secondary schools progress from one level to the next based on the principle of automatic promotion, but in private schools, provision exists for students to repeat a year as a means of improving performance to the required standard (2013-17 Education Sector Medium Term Strategic Plan). For more information, see Multi-level regulations.
Sanctions: See Multi-level regulations.
From 2000 to 2009, the University of Seychelles - American Institute of Medicine (USAIM) was the only (private) university established in the country, registered under the 2004 Education Act. In 2009, a new public university, the University of Seychelles (UniSey), came into operation. In addition, some non-university tertiary education institutions have operated partnership courses for several years with selected overseas universities and Institutes of Higher Learning.
Registration and approval: The 2005 Education (Private Educational Institutions) Regulations (2005) specify the registration fee for a private tertiary education institution, which is Rs. 10,000. For more information, see Multi-level regulations.
Licence: See Multi-level regulations.
Profit-making: See Multi-level regulations.
Taxes and subsidies: See Multi-level regulations.
Quality of teaching and learning
Curriculum and learning standards: See Multi-level regulations.
Teaching profession: See Multi-level regulations.
Fee-setting: Fees may be charged in respect of post-secondary education programmes in accordance with regulations, for both public and private institutions (Education Act, 2004, Art. 42).
Admission selection and processes: See Multi-level regulations.
Quality assurance, monitoring and accountability
Board: See Multi-level regulations.
Reporting requirements: See Multi-level regulations.
Inspection: See Multi-level regulations.
Student assessments: See Multi-level regulations.
Diplomas and degrees: See Multi-level regulations.
Sanctions: See Multi-level regulations.
3.2 Multi-level regulations
This section presents the regulations for early childhood care and education, primary and secondary education and tertiary education.
Registration and approval: The 1993 Constitution (Art. 33) stipulates that “any person organization or institution” is allowed to establish and maintain a private school “subject to reasonable restrictions, supervision and conditions as are necessary in a democratic society”. No person can operate a private institution unless the institution is registered and received the approval of the Minister (Education Act, 2004, Art. 18). The owner of a registered private institution must pay a registration fee (Art. 23).
The 2005 Education (Private Educational Institutions) Regulations state that an application for registration must contain a copy of the curriculum vitae of the principal, a copy of the business tax certificate, a cheque for the registration, a copy of the last health inspection report or a certificate in respect of the premises of the educational institution, a copy of the last fire safety inspection report and a proof of ownership or a lease agreement. The registration fee is payable every 12 months within 15 days of receipt of an approval for registration, re-registration or the continued validity of certificate pursuant to a review.
Finally, the government provides details of minimum requirements for the provision of physical facilities for learners by registered and approved education and training institutions.
Licence: The Principal Secretary issues a certificate of registration to the proprietor of the institution. The Principal Secretary must keep a register of such institutions and must annually certify a copy of the Register, which shall be published in the Gazette (Education Act, 2004, Art. 21). The registration of a private school or educational institution is valid for five years and is reviewable every year. The 2005 Education (Private Educational Institutions) Regulations state that the Ministry may revoke the certificate of registration or re-registration if payment of the registration fee is not made upon giving the institution 15 days notice.
The certificate of registration indicates the educational services the institution is authorised to provide and mentions the conditions relating to the capacity and facilities and the maximum number of students who may be admitted.
Profit-making: Any person providing “for profit or otherwise”, educational services for his or her own account and in the case of a body corporate for its own account, “shall be deemed to be operating a private school or educational institution” (Education Act, 2004, Art. 18).
Taxes and subsidies: The 2010 Value Added Tax Act states that provisions exist for registered private educational institutions to benefit from tax exemptions on imported materials up to a certain value, namely in regards to construction and teaching and learning materials.
Quality of teaching and learning
Curriculum and learning standards: Where a request is made for an amendment authorising the limitation of instruction to certain subjects or classes, “the Minister may either refuse to grant the application or grant it subject to such conditions as the Minister may specify” (Education Act, 2004). Both the 2004 Education Act and the 2011 Tertiary Education Act promote the development and deployment of open and distance learning in public and private educational and training institutions.
Teaching profession: The 2020 Teacher Management and Development Policy observes the absence of a national teacher regulation for both government and private sector. A member of the instructional staff in a private institution “shall possess at least the minimum qualifications required of a similar member in a comparable State school or educational institution” (Education Act, 2004, Art. 18). In parallel, the 2018-22 National Human Resource Development (HRD) Policy aims to ensure that the private sector and individuals take more responsibility for their HRD. It aims to strengthen the partnership amongst HRD related stakeholders, including those for public-private partnerships, focusing upon the development and utilisation of competencies and skills.
In addition, the Principal Secretary may declare any person who does not possess the minimum qualifications required to be “unsuitable for employment” may require that the person not be employed. Moreover, all salaries are paid in local currency, the Seychelles rupee (RS), by private institutions. Furthermore, every teacher shall be protected from molestation, abuse, assault and battery and be afforded legal and psychological support in the event of injury. Also, they must be provided with reasonable access to professional training and development.
The regulations on non-state education do not explicitly state whether teachers in private schools are covered by the same provisions as those in the public service. However, the country adopted the 1995 Employment Act, which covers both the state and non-state sectors.
Admission selection and processes: The Minister may determine the maximum number of students who may be admitted to educational services or categories of educational services provided by private schools (Education Act, 2004, Art. 25). The Principal Secretary can hold an inquiry if a complaint is made that a private institution has refused to admit a child or has expelled a student on account of the race, religion or political affiliation of, or on any other unreasonable ground of discrimination relating to, the child, student or parent (Art. 39). Finally, a student of one school who seeks admission to another school can only be admitted to that other school on presentation of the transfer letter issued by the headteacher of the first school (Art. 56).
Quality assurance, monitoring and accountability
Board: The Centre for Curriculum Assessment and Teacher Support has the responsibility to promotes closer partnerships with the private sector. In addition, each institution has a council that ensure overall governance and management of schools for the development and improvement of teaching and learning and student performance. It aims at increasing the involvement of staff and parents in school affairs, and a higher level of accountability of schools. At the national level, the School Council Secretariat ensures the coordination and effective operation of school councils and acts as the liaison between the School Council and the Ministry of Education.
Reporting requirements: Every school shall provide the parents of a student and the student with a periodic report on the student's academic performance and conduct. The Ministry of Education Circular No. 02 of 2014 is an official reminder to state and private educational institutions of their obligations to furnish in a timely manner statistical data requested by the Ministry’s competent authority – Education Management Information System (EMIS). At the national level, the Policy Planning & Research Division plays an important leading role in the monitoring and evaluation of the education sector, development of policies and the coordination of education research, for both the private and public sectors.
Inspection: The Principal Secretary shall arrange for an inspection of the school or private educational institution upon the receipt of an application (Education Act, 2004, Art. 22).
Assessment: Teachers, lecturers and instructors in education institutions shall participate in the national assessments of students as and when required by the Ministry (Education Act, 2004, Art. 71).
Diplomas and degrees: The Seychelles Qualifications Authority, established by the 2005 Seychelles Qualifications Act develops and implements the National Qualifications Framework to provide nationally recognized standards. This Framework applies to all public and private training providers registered with the Ministry of Education and to private and parastatal organizations that offer formal training. In addition, the Seychelles Qualifications Authority is responsible for the evaluation and recognition of foreign qualifications. The Seychelles Qualifications Authority makes the list of local private organizations that are involved in qualifications-related work: VCS; International School; Independent School; First Care; École française des Seychelles; Cyberwave computing 2000; Computing and Additional Learning; and Blyss Consulting.
Sanctions: A person who operates an educational institution without the approval of the Minister is liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both sanctions (Education Act, 2004, Art. 20).
3.3 Supplementary private tutoring
Research conducted by Felix & Benstrong (2017) for the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (EACMEQ) indicated that 13.1% of sixth graders sampled in 2007 were receiving private tutoring, increasing to 20.8% in 2013 (cited by Bray, 2021).
No regulation was found.
Financial operation and quality
No regulation was found.
No regulation was found.
