President Dr. Patrick Herminie chaired the first scheduled meeting of the Cabinet for the year 2026 on Wednesday 7th January, during which a number of legal and policy memoranda were approved.
Cabinet approved the revised schedule of fees for the registration of private post-compulsory education and training providers under the Seychelles Qualifications Authority. The new tiered fee structure, differentiating providers by size, delivery mode, and learner volume, is designed to ensure fairness, affordability, and alignment with regulatory requirements.
Cabinet approved the revised Administration Policy of the Disability Trust Fund. The Fund will provide universal assistive and adaptive devices to support persons with disabilities and elderly individuals experiencing age-related functional decline. The revised policy streamlines eligibility based on a needs assessment and introduces a one-application-per-year limit of up to SCR 55,000. Cabinet approved that structural home modifications will now be handled under the Home Repair Scheme of the Local Government Department.
In the education sector, Cabinet considered the proposal for Government-funded A-Level studies at Vijay International School Praslin and approved the recommendation to discontinue the initiative in its current form. Cabinet further directed the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development to focus on strengthening the School of Advanced Level Studies as the central provider of A-Level studies and to improve student welfare by enhancing boarding facilities and support systems for inner-island learners to ensure a more sustainable and well-governed approach moving forward. Cabinet confirmed that students currently on the programme will not be affected.
Cabinet also approved the new organisational structure for the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development. The new framework is designed to strengthen governance, improve accountability, and enhance service delivery across the education sector. The revised structure establishes three core departments: General Education and Curriculum, Human Resource Development, and Educational Support and Projects; each with clearly defined functions to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and better align the Ministry’s operations with Government’s education reform agenda and national development priorities.
Cabinet approved the proposed amendments to the Skills Development Programme and the My First Job Scheme, endorsing measures to modernise both initiatives and better align them with national labour-market needs. The approved reforms include expanding SDP eligibility from ages 15–17 to 15–20, increasing annual intake, introducing micro-credentials through the Recognition of Prior Learning, aligning training with priority economic sectors, revising allowances to incorporate transport support directly in participants’ allowances, and outsourcing soft-skills training. Cabinet further endorsed enhancements to the My First Job Scheme through the introduction of a six-month paid internship for scholarship-eligible graduates and recruitment fairs at Professional Centres. These reforms aim to strengthen youth employability, improve skills relevance, and support a more inclusive and responsive workforce development system.
