01/07/2026
What does "accreditation" mean?
By Noella Baker
Principal Standards Setting Officer, SQA
Accreditation is a vital part of quality assurance of any system, it is, in fact a method of External Quality Assurance (EQA). It gives an indication of compliance of education and training providers to set criteria, which in turn shows that they have healthy and efficient internal quality assurance systems in place. It is the Seychelles Qualifications Authority’s (SQA) responsibility to evaluate tertiary education and training providers and their programmes.
According to the SQA Act 2021 “accreditation” is a “process of assessment and review which enables a person, a tertiary education and training provider, or a programme of education and training to be recognised and certified for a specified period of time by the Authority as meeting and conforming to appropriate standards of quality set by the Authority”.
There are two forms of accreditation “Institutional” and “Programmatic”; currently two Units within the SQA offer accreditation services.
Institutional Accreditation Unit
This Unit evaluates Tertiary education and training providers or institutions to determine whether they meet standards for educational quality set by the SQA. The institutional accreditation process is a comprehensive evaluation of the institution and its academic and administrative effectiveness, with particular focus on its Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) system. The evaluation of the quality of the provider focuses on the overall policies and practices of the institution and how these impact on the quality of programmes being offered.
The definition of Institutional Accreditation, according to the SQA Act 2021 is “recognition status granted to a provider by the Authority for a stipulated period of time after an evaluation through self-assessment and external review indicates that it meets or exceeds established standards for educational quality set by the Authority”. There are three possible outcomes in relation to institutional accreditation, in Seychelles; if an institution is:
accredited – the tertiary education and training provider meets all the prescribed national institutional accreditation standards. The provider has sustainable practices; it is fit for purpose; it is consistent, effective and efficient in its practices and therefore, offers value for money. Normally, an institution will be accredited for three to five years after which it needs to re-apply to the SQA for accreditation.
provisionally accredited - the tertiary education and training provider has met the majority of the prescribed national institutional accreditation standards but further work is required to achieve full accreditation status. The provider will undergo Institutional Standards Reassessment following a defined period of provisional accreditation.
not accredited – the tertiary education and training provider does not meet several of the prescribed national institutional accreditation standards. The provider will undergo a new Institutional Standards Assessment following a defined period.
Programme Accreditation Unit
The SQA Act 2021 defines programme accreditation as “recognition status granted to a programme by the Authority for a stipulated period of time after an evaluation by the Authority indicates that it meets standards of quality”.
The Programme Accreditation Unit, approves programmes being offered by education and training providers or institutions, including the Professional Centres and the University of Seychelles. The accreditation of a programme is for a specified period of time, usually five years. A programme must carry a credit value of 120 credits or more to meet the requirement of a qualification on the Seychelles Qualifications Framework (NQF). Both full and part qualifications can be registered on the NQF; however, a short course leading to a part qualification has to carry a minimum of 3 credits (30 notional hours) or more.
There are specific criteria that the programme needs to meet in order to achieve accreditation status. After the evaluation process a programme may be categorised as such:
accredited programme –it has met all the established national quality criteria and therefore, the programme is recognised nationally for five years and can be used for Recognition of Prior learning (RPL).
provisionally accredited programme –it has met the majority of the established national quality criteria, but minor changes are required to achieve full accreditation status.
non-accredited programme –it has not met most of the established national quality criteria, so major changes are required to achieve accreditation status. Qualifications issued on completion of a non-accredited programme will not be recognised by the SQA.
Unit standards: A tool for quality assurance
By Hilda Bertin
Principal Standards Setting Officer
SQA
A unit standard is a registered statement of a discreet area of competence and desired education and training outcomes and its associated assessment or performance criteria. It is accompanied by administrative and other information such as standard and level number, number of credits, field and subfield, issue and review date.
A unit standard specifies the outcome to be achieved by a learner:
- the title is the main outcome
- the elements describe the more detailed outcomes that learners' knowledge and skills are assessed against.
Everything else in a unit standard including the performance criteria are intended to assist the assessor in making a quality judgement about whether a person has achieved the outcome to the required standard.
In addition to that of providing clear expectations for learner performance, the unit standard shows the close alignment between the stated curriculum, the taught curriculum and what is being assessed.
The standards-based learning does not limit the types of summative and formative assessment tasks that teachers can design. Different forms of assessment such as quizzes, written tests, performances, projects, structured observations, and oral examinations can be valid and reliable assessment strategies.
Quality assurance includes two principles: "fitness for purpose" (the product should be suitable for the intended purpose); and "right first time" (mistakes should be eliminated). Unit standards must reflect the current performance requirements if learner skills and abilities are to be accepted by employers within the sector and other education and training providers. The development of unit standards with input from the industry and relevant stakeholders for different qualifications will ensure these principles are kept right from the beginning of the development to the final implementation and assessment. The unit standards then become the tool to ensure that the programme is of quality in terms of fitness and currency.
The key 'ingredients' in a unit standard are the elements and related performance criteria which after successful completion will allow the learner to perform a specific activity or task in an occupation. The advantage to the assessor is that it provides focus by tying each assessment task to one or more of the performance criteria. When it comes to summative assessment, it is important that all assessment tasks are linked to one or more performance criterion.
Unit Standards ensure better accountability – holding teachers and schools responsible for what goes on in the classrooms. The practice of aligning learning to standards also helps ensure that a higher level of learning is attained, guides teachers in the process of assessment and helps keep them on track.
Frequently asked questions
With the new energy saving initiative, SQA is now open for walk-ins on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8.00 to 2pm, on other days it is strictly by appointment, but clients may call for clarifications.
"Evaluation" means the process of evaluating and validating qualifications so that the qualifications holder can be considered for further/higher education and/or employment activities. E.g. in the case of GOP application for foreigners.
A "Certified True Copy" is a copy of an original qualification certificate or other document that has been certified by an authority, legal entity, or any other authorised body as being a true copy of the original. The original is always required for this process.
The process of recognition begins only after the applicant has submitted all the required documents. Usually, if all required documents have been submitted along with the application, the certificate(s) are certified on the same day.
The process of evaluation begins only after the applicant has submitted all the required documents. Applications may take from 15 to 60 working days, depending on the specificity of each case. Fast Track Evaluations are usually done within 15 working days
Unit standards are statements of outcome(s) of learning and/or work activity needing to be formally assessed. Unit standards make up the components of a qualification and may be formally recognised as an award independently of the award of the qualification. Unit standards and/or Qualifications are awarded at the end of learning. They are awarded following robust assessment of the abilities of persons who have undertaken formal and/or informal learning in relation to specified knowledge, understanding, skills and personal attributes at a specific level (NQF levels of complexity and demand)
Yes. There are certain documents that need to be submitted so that they can get a “certificate of recognition”. Application for accreditation must be done with each new cohort.
Providers that are registered by SQA can offer training that have not been accredited but they can only award certificates of participation. Providers opting for this are required to inform learners of the non-accreditation status of their programmes before learners enroll and pay.
Members of the Unit during an inspection
Mission
The mission of the Inspectorate Unit is to provide an inspection service to the Ministry of Education and Primary /Secondary schools to raise the quality of education received in Seychelles, by improving the quality of the schools' self-evaluation processes and by setting standards to enhance the quality of education for all children in Seychelles.
The Aim
The main aim of the Inspectorate unit is to inspect all Primary and Secondary State Schools against established standards and performance indicators and report to the schools and Ministry of Education for monitoring, support and follow-up actions.
In line with SQA’s mission, the School Inspection Unit’s main aim in inspecting primary and secondary schools is to boost the quality of the services they offer, particularly in teaching and learning, and consequently raise the quality of education provision. This Unit is also responsible for setting standards to guide schools to improve the quality of their self-evaluation processes thereby eliciting the setting and implementation of realistic improvement targets to enhance the quality of education for the children in Seychelles.
Operational Principles
- Openness and Transparency - valuing a collaborative approach
- Comprehensiveness - Conditions associated with 'effective' schools
- Capacity Building - with a focus on Self Evaluation
- Focus on Learning - progressive improvement in attainment / achievement / quality assurance and development planning
- Formative Emphasis - improvement is data driven
- Confidentiality - reports restricted to those services having a direct responsibility for school supervision and support
Roles & Responsibilities
- To work with schools to keep performance indicators and evaluation criteria under review
- To work closely with management teams and services in Schools Division to monitor and support the development of structures and processes for self- evaluation in schools
- To analyse data from examinations and evaluation reports with a view of helping schools to set targets for improvement particularly for attainment
- To evaluate the performance of schools against agreed performance indicators and targets and give feedback to the school
- To publish outstanding practices
- To monitor the provisions of quality education in all state schools through evaluation and monitoring in compliance with the Education Act 2004
- To evaluate, educate and advise Senior Management Teams, Schools Councils and teachers on good implementation of Schools' Development Plans & day to day running of the school
- To approve the recruitment, training and deployment of part-time EQA team members
- To recommend points for actions and strategies for improving the quality of basic education
- To report to the MOE, School Councils and schools on the accountability and the effective use of resources in schools.
Types of Inspection
1. Whole School Inspection
This is a comprehensive assessment which examines all the six key areas as per the framework.
2. Short Inspection
This form of inspection is partial and focuses on a limited number of predetermined aspects of a school based on the school SER analysis.
3. Return / Monitoring Visits
The focus will often be dictated by the need to monitor progress in respect of a particular area of concern identified through a previous inspection.
4. Special Inspection
Special Visits can be:
* The Confirmation of Good Practice (to confirm individual members of staff as models of good practice)
* Follow up or monitoring visits to schools which are not performing to standard.
* To investigate and report on a specific issue of concern identified by officers.
* Investigative visits carried out with a limited focus in a specific institution:
(i) in response to complaints from parents, School Council, other agencies within or
outside the school community regarding a particular situation, and
(ii) as directed by the SQA Board or at the request of the Ministry of Education.
The purpose of the inspection is to arrive at a valid judgement or resolution to a conflict.
Code of Conduct for Inspection Officers
Inspectors should:
- Evaluate objectively, be impartial and evaluate without fear or favour
- Evaluate provision in line with frameworks, national standards or requirements
- Base all evaluations on clear and robust evidence
- Report honestly and clearly ensuring that judgements are fair and reliable
- Carry out their work with integrity, treating all those they meet with courtesy, respect and sensitivity
- Endeavour to minimise the stress on those involved in the evaluation
- Act in the best interests and well-being of service users
- Maintain purposeful and productive dialogue with those being evaluated, and communicate judgements clearly and frankly
- Respect the confidentiality of information, particularly about individuals and their work
- Respond appropriately to reasonable requests, and advise the Ministry on appropriate action safeguarding health and safety issues
- Be accountable for their decisions and actions to the school and stakeholders when reporting on the school concerns
- Be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take
- Dress appropriately in a way that upholds the good reputation of the SQA, Ministry of Education and the teaching profession.
Inspectorate Manual version 3, 2014
Seychelles early learning framework
