Teaching youth to develop digital skills
Starting next year, the school curriculum in Seychelles will include a section on digital skills, a senior government official announced on Tuesday after handing over kits and tools to the team participating in this year’s First Global Robotics Challenge.
The Principal Secretary for Education Sector Development, John Lesperance, told journalists that this competition is part of the government’s plan to promote the digital economy, particularly digital skills. « The Ministry of Education is currently developing frameworks and tools that will be used to include this subject in the primary and secondary school curriculum next year, in 2025. It will be based on digital skills, and robotics will be one of the elements taught. There has already been a lot of interest. We have been approached by many students who wish to join such a program », he explained.
The Seychelles team will participate in the First Global Robotics Challenge, which will be held in Athens, Greece, from September 26 to 29. The competition gathers students aged 14 to 17 from around the world to take part in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) challenge. It aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in STEM fields, promote cultural exchanges, and foster a global community of young innovators capable of addressing global challenges through technology and collaboration. Each year, the competition focuses on a specific theme, such as energy efficiency, water quality, or pollution.
The core team members will represent Seychelles at the Challenge, while support team members will have the valuable opportunity to assist the team locally in assembling and working on the robot. This structure allows a broader group of students to engage with and benefit from the project, gain hands-on experience, and contribute to the core team’s success. The team will be accompanied by a representative from the Ministry of Education and a representative from the Division of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI).
