The youth will be placed in the driving seat when it comes to planning and implementing education reform initiatives is a resolution taken by delegates at a Youth Education Summit held in Seychelles on Friday.

The summit, under the theme “Negotiating a new education landscape,” sought to build on the World Transforming Education Summit that took place in September 2022 in New York.

It was organised by the Seychelles’ Ministry of Education in collaboration with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office for Mauritius.

In his address at the opening, the Minister for Education, Justin Valentin, said that the ministry “agrees with the resolution and believes that if educational processes are to be impactful and their outcomes worthwhile, the youth should be empowered to participate in the design and implementation of all reform agendas.”

Valentin added that since this is a dialogue between youths and other authorities it will of course have situations where views diverge, just as it does when adults have that sort of dialogue.

Building on the principles of inclusion, the summit also aimed at bringing the perspectives of young people to bear on the most pressing issues facing their generation with regard to education. The four key topics discussed by the youth were; new models of schooling, life skills, access to opportunities, and healthy living.

The youths who attended the summit are aged between 13 and 30 and are from public and private secondary schools, post-secondary institutions, the University of Seychelles, youth organisations, young entrepreneurs, youth leaders and professionals from multiple sectors and self-employed youth.

During the day-long summit, participants discussed and learned new models of schooling, life skills, access to opportunities and healthy living, which are of concern to the Ministry of Education.

They also relate to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education – which aims at ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

There were presentations by four speakers on the subjects followed by group discussions and recommendations.

Building on the principles of inclusion, the summit aims to bring the perspectives of young people to bear on the most pressing issues facing their generation with regard to education.

Source: Seychelles News Agency