VICTORIA, Seychelles — State schools across the central Victoria area and its outskirts were putting the final touches to their buildings this week, ahead of the start of the new academic year for state institutions. After a six week break, crèches, primary schools, and secondary schools are preparing to welcome back pupils. The first cohort returns on Monday January 22, including Crèche Year 1 and Year 2, Primary 2 to Primary 6, and Secondary 1 only. The remaining classes, Primary 1 and Secondary 2 to Secondary 5, return on Tuesday January 23.
At Bel Eau primary, which caters for children with special needs, the head teacher Jane Laurette said the school was in good condition and did not need major renovations. The two main challenges for 2024 are managing the number of pupils enrolling from outside the school zone, and a persistent shortage of teachers, particularly in the French department. Mrs Laurette said the school would try to manage its enrolment quota in 2024 and would look to recruit new teaching staff to replace those who had left at the end of last year.
At Mont Fleuri primary, the head teacher Sherley Hoareau, now in her second year at the helm, has set her sights on raising learning outcomes. She said the school had given classrooms a fresh coat of paint and had moved students into new rooms. The main pressure, she noted, was the need to accommodate many students who have been exempted from other schools. With a small footprint and fewer staff than she would like, the school has had to be selective about which exemption requests it can accept.
Plaisance primary, under head teacher Therese Athanase, is also ready for the new term. The school, she said, had been working to ensure that every class and every subject is covered, redeploying staff internally to fill vacancies. The team is appealing to pupils to take their studies seriously and to parents to work closely with teachers to support learning at home and in the classroom.
Secondary schools face their own set of pressures. Perseverance secondary, which had initially been earmarked as a national vocational centre before the plan was cancelled, is making final arrangements to receive its new Secondary 1 cohort. Belonie secondary, under head teacher Medgee Nancy, is implementing the new three year strategic plan initiated in September 2023, and is wrestling with a shortage of space for its large Secondary 1 intake. At Pointe Larue secondary, director Channet Soomery said renovation works on the S4 and S5 blocks meant that some students would not be able to resume on January 23 and would be notified of a revised start date. A wider refurbishment, covering the technical block and two further blocks, is expected to be completed by December 2024.
