VICTORIA, Seychelles, Over 270 new students who are joining the Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) this year attended an induction yesterday at the UniSey auditorium in Anse Royale. Accompanied by their parents, the new students were welcomed by the director of SIT, Hubert Barbe, the deputy director of studies, Rubina Larue, and the head of programme WBE/ Apprenticeship and RPL, Saul Athanase. The ceremony was also attended by members of the SIT faculty and administrative staff.
They were briefed on the different rules and regulations of the SIT institution and what will be required of them. They also met their respective lecturers and members of the school faculty that will be there to attend to them throughout their school year. Speaking to reporters, the director, Mr Barbe, said they were extremely shocked with the number of applicants they received this year. Over the past three years SIT has broken the record with the number of applicants we have received, reaching about 70 percent of our intake, he stated.
Mr Barbe also explained that as announced earlier, students will not be attending school on full-time basis until their second semester. This is because the institution sustained damage caused by the CCCL explosion on December 7. We have contractors working on the school almost every day making repairs which causes a considerable amount of disturbance. Therefore, like I mentioned previously, we have come up with a system so as not to disrupt the student’s syllabus. The students will now be working under a modified schedule until all work is done so that they may resume as normal.
Another amendment that Mr Barbe touched on was that the students from apprenticeship courses will have a different entry date compared to the students on diploma level. The latter will attend school starting on March 25, while apprenticeship students will start schooling on April 1, 2024. The staggered start is intended to allow the institution to manage its resources effectively during the repair period and to provide adequate support to each group of students as they begin their studies.
After the students were briefed, they all went to different stalls appointed outside to officially register themselves as official members of the SIT. The induction also provided an opportunity for parents to ask questions about the modified arrangements and to familiarise themselves with the campus. SIT has indicated that further updates on the repair timeline and the return to full-time classes will be communicated to students and parents as the work progresses. The institution has thanked families for their patience and understanding during this challenging period.
