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Mauritius Education
The education system in Mauritius, patterned after the
British model, has improved greatly since independence. It
has
been free through the secondary level since 1976 and
through the
postsecondary level since 1988. The government has made an
effort
to provide adequate funding for education, occasionally
straining
tight budgets. In 1991-92, reflecting the trend of earlier
budgets, the government allocated 13 percent
(Mauritian rupee--MauR--see Glossary
--1.5 billion)
for education, culture and art.
Nonetheless, facilities in rural areas tend to be less
adequate
than those in Port Louis and other cities. Literacy in
1990 for
the population over fifteen years of age on the island of
Mauritius was 80 percent overall, 85 percent for males,
and 75
percent for females.
In 1979 the government established a new unit in the
Ministry
of Education and Cultural Affairs to oversee and
coordinate
teaching resources at some 900 private preschools. The
increasing
participation of women in the labor force necessitated the
expansion of the preschool system. The government
established
public preschools in 1984. Primary education (standard
1-6) is
compulsory, and 6,507 teachers taught 137,491 students in
283
schools in 1990, representing an estimated 92 percent of
children
in that age group. During the same period at the secondary
level
(forms 1-6), 3,728 teachers taught 78,110 students in 124
schools. As in the British system, students must pass
standardized exams at several stages to be able to
continue their
studies. About 50 to 60 percent of primary students pass
the exam
for admission to secondary school. In 1986, 60.7 percent
of the
form 5 students taking the School Certificate exam passed;
not
all went on to form 6. In the same year, 53.7 percent of
the form
6 students taking the Higher School Certificate exam
passed. In
addition to government schools, there are many private
primary
and secondary schools, but statistical data on these are
lacking.
The country's principal institution of higher education
is
the University of Mauritius, where 1,190 students were
enrolled
in 1991. Other postsecondary institutions include the
Mauritius
Institute of Education for teacher training; the Mauritius
College of the Air, which broadcasts classes; and the
Mahatma
Gandhi Institute. Of the several hundred Mauritians
studying
abroad each year, most go to Britain, France, and India.
In
addition, 1,190 students were enrolled at eleven
vocational
training centers, and 690 were taking courses at three
technical
institutions and five handicraft training centers in 1991.
From standard 4 onward, English is the sole language of
instruction. Before that, teachers use Creole and Bhojpuri
when
teaching English to those students who do not already know
it.
From standard 3 onward, French is a required course.
Students may
also take classes in several Asian languages.
The government of Mauritius regards education as a
sphere of
utmost importance in its move toward the "second stage" of
economic development, namely becoming a newly
industrialized
country. Therefore, at a donors' meeting in Paris in
November
1991, the minister of education presented an ambitious
Education
Master Plan for the years 1991-2000. The plan calls for
expanding
education at all levels, from preprimary through
university,
through the establishment of new schools and the
improvement of
existing facilities, especially technical and vocational
education; the latter is an area that to date had not
provided
the technical skills required by island industries.
Despite the
population's 95 percent literacy rate for those under
thirty
years of age, government officials have been concerned at
the
high dropout rate, especially at the secondary level.
University
places are also being increased to 5,000, and new courses
of
study are being introduced. The donor response to the plan
was
very favorable. The World Bank pledged US$20 million, the
African
Development Bank US$15 million, and other donors an
additional
US$14 million.
Data as of August 1994
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