By Enock Sithole
The newly established journalism programme at the University of Seychelles is leading the way in teaching journalism in Creole, known in the country as Kreol, which although it was created by emigrant communities, is considered an indigenous language.
Kreol, said Dr Penda Choppy, director of Creole Language and Culture Research Institute at the University of Seychelles, “was created here in Seychelles by people who originally came from different places, but are now considered natives of the islands”. Therefore, Kreol is considered an indigenous language and there are no other indigenous languages in the country, she added.
According to the head of the university’s journalism programme, Samuel Mundua, students learn journalism in the three languages that are spoken in the country in courses called Creole for Journalism, English for Journalism and French for Journalism.
The archipelago nation of 115 islands with a population of approximately 120 000 people is about to celebrate 15 years of the inauguration of its only University of Seychelles, popularly known as Unisey, which was established in 2009.
Unisey, has a cohort of some 500 students spread in various fields of study, with the journalism programme accommodating 11 students pursuing courses at diploma level, said Ms Pricillina Durbarry, assistant head of the Department of Education, Language and Media.
Journalism students at Unisey going through their paces.
So far, all the students are working professionals in newsrooms, government and public relations agencies and corporate entities. Plans are afoot to attract school leaving students to join the programme. Most of the country’s working journalists do not have any journalism training. They came from other fields and learned journalism on the job, said Durbarry.
Mundua said the younger generation in the country tended to prefer public relations and communication because they thought journalism did not offer much financial reward and it was difficult to live from. “We have a task or an obligation to attract the younger generation through various ways. We are working to improve the diploma programme in journalism through a Fulbright Fellowship,” he said.
A Fellow from the United States is helping the department to develop “one of our most critical modules that is so much in demand. That is journalism for the new media,” said Mundua. “I am leading that module in trying to implement the programme. It’s moving on well with the current cohort.”
Mundua said the programme would be integrated into a soon to be established bachelor’s programme which would include communication and media studies.
This article was first published by Ajen newsletter