When ‘ALL’ falls short of the mark |09 August 2018

There is nothing more rewarding for a student than to be recognised for academic excellence by the President of a country.  Equally, having your efforts overlooked can have comparatively deflating results, no pun intended. Which makes President Danny Faure’s attempt to reward academic excellence, commendable though it may be, potentially risky and divisive. For in trying to honour all academic high achievers of 2017, he glaringly missed out some.

But first let us celebrate the President’s initiative and more importantly the recognition of the work and dedication of those students who had their efforts recognised and rewarded. As high performing students and their parents will tell you, academic success is always invariably the result of hard work, dedication and sacrifice, laced in most case if not always, with a high dose of tears, anger, depression, rebellion and eventually understanding.  Under these circumstances, national recognition is the least the students deserve.

But why in 2017 were some students recognised whilst others were not? This is the burning question that parents of the International School Seychelles (ISS) are asking themselves. In May and June every year, a large number of ISS students sit for Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level exams. Their best students regularly score multiple A*s in a multitude of subjects. The irony is that NOT ONCE has any student from the summer cohort been honoured for their achievement. In 2017, at least 10 students have been impacted by this decision. Everybody else who sit November exams are always recognised although this year is the first time that they have been honoured by an invitation to State House.

This state of affairs is baffling to say the least. There is an argument that the decision to exclude summer examinations from the Cambridge Best Learner Awards is a Cambridge one and not the government’s. Isn’t it time that the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Develeopment informs the Cambridge Exams Board that this cannot continue, considering that with a 60/40 Seychellois majority of the student body, the ISS is playing a vitally important role in the social and economic development of our nation? This contribution can be seen in an even clearer perspective when looked at against the background of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development’s recent decision to discontinue a number of courses at SALS. The ISS remains the ONLY school offering Arts, Business Studies, Accounting, Economics, Travel and Tourism and Psychology at IGCSE and A-Levels (Law and Sociology are not currently offered) providing a potential fall back route for those affected by the ministry’s decision.

If the ministry will not do it for the school, they should make the case for the students. Because whilst it is motivating and inspiring to have one’s efforts recognised, it is equally disappointing and frustrating to be brushed aside and overlooked. Just ask the ISS Class of Summer 2017. It may be too late for them but there is still time for those graduating in 2018 and beyond.

 One would expect no less from a government that prides itself on breaking down barriers and weeding out injustices. But will Minister Jeanne Simeon oblige?

Name withheld

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this letter do not necessarily represent the views of the Seychelles NATION newspaper.