New monument honours two former educational institutions in Seychelles |30 June 2016

Past students, teachers, support staff and friends gathered at Mont Fleuri yesterday morning to unveil a monument honouring two former educational institutions in Seychelles -- the Seychelles College and Regina Mundi Convent.

The unveiling of the monument was done by Sister Bernadette and Father Roger Decommarmond in the presence of the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport Joël Morgan, among other guests.

The Seychelles College was a boy’s secondary grammar school which opened on December 18, 1947 while the Regina Mundi Convent which opened on January 27, 1957 was always a girl’s school although in its early years it admitted boys at kindergarten level. The former was staffed by the Brothers of Christian Instruction and the latter was staffed by the sisters of St Joseph of Cluny. Both institutions closed in 1980.

The initiative of a monument was first mooted with the formation of the Regina Mundi Convent and Seychelles College (RMSC) Alumni following a get-together of former students of these institutions at Le Méridien Barbarons in 2010. Since then, the project gathered momentum and following weeks of construction, the monument has officially been unveiled and stands proudly at the entrance to the former Seychelles College, now the Mont Fleuri secondary school.

Those two institutions have produced the many professionals both in the private and public sector who helped shape the destiny of the nation. Many of the teachers, doctors, engineers, architects and politicians – among others – are all products of these two great schools.

The monument is a tribute to the Plöermel brothers of Christian Instruction, the Sisters of St Joseph De Cluny, and the expatriate teachers and support staff of the two institutions for their immense contribution to the education of a whole generation of Seychelles men and women.

During the ceremony there were also testimonies by past students, teachers and support staff along with a performance of the theme song of the two institutions.

Caption:

Father Decommarmond and Sister Bernadette unveil the new monument