Mauritius: An award ceremony for Special Education Needs (SEN) Educators who successfully completed six courses took place on Friday, 06 October 2023, at Voilà Hotel, Bagatelle.
The event, part of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Skills for Work project for SEN Educators, aimed to recognise the commitment and success of these Educators while underlining the importance of inclusive and equitable education.
The event was graced by the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun; the President and CEO, Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Prof. Asha Singh Kanwar; the Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr Abdess Salem Saumtally; the Commissioner, HEC, Prof. (Dr) Romeela Mohee; and other personalities.
The Vice-Prime Minister, in her speech, acknowledged the essential role of Educators in the effective implementation of an ‘inclusive and equitable education system’.
In the evolving job market, she emphasised the Government’s substantial investment in education, with a focus on skills development from pre-primary to undergraduate levels, recognising its importance for building human resource capacity and fostering professional growth.
She also added that SEN Educators, in particular, play a crucial role in providing vital support and expertise to students grappling with learning disabilities, special needs, or developmental challenges.
She said that equipping these Educators with the latest pedagogical methods and technological skills is essential.
Minister Dookun-Luchoomun stated that her Ministry is enhancing teaching access via the SEN Authority, offering continuous professional development. She indicated that successful completion of SEN micro-credentials now leads to recognised credits, enabling educators to enrol in formal SEN certificate programmes, marking micro-credentials official integration into education.
As for Prof. Kanwar, she urged innovation in higher education, emphasising the need to refresh, rethink, and redesign policies and processes. According to her, the key areas include addressing ‘learning loss,’ promoting equity and inclusion, achieving digital transformation, revising curricula and pedagogies, and supporting well-being.
On his part, Dr Saumtally highlighted the scholarships’ significant impact on SEN Educators, boosting their confidence and competence. He declared that the COL Skills programme recognises and empowers them to address challenges, especially through technology, which also fosters vital communication among Educators, parents, and specialists, enhancing collaboration for the benefit of students with special needs.
Dr Mohee, in her remarks, acknowledged COL’s contributions to projects such as technology-enabled learning and COL Skills, underscoring the importance of inclusive education. Moreover, she spoke about the need for re-skilling to align with the evolving job market.
It is recalled that the COL Skills for Work initiative is implemented jointly by the HEC and the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology. Up to 3,000 scholarships were offered to Mauritian Nationals for the period spanning from 2021 to 2023.
The initiative aims to make every learner a self-motivated individual, an autonomous lifelong learner and a responsible skilled citizen.