Private and Public school in Mauritius

The potential problem with government schools is the common heavy dependency on after school tuition for the students to learn the material.  More often than not, these after school tuition classes are also taught by the teacher or connected to the teacher in some way and if the student does not attend these tuition classes, ie "pay the fee" then the student will suffer the consequences in the classroom. 

I have heard of cases where a child was doing well in a class and was sat in the front of the classroom and once they stopped attending the tuition classes after school they were moved to the back of the class and basically ignored by the teacher and their marks suffered because of it.  I have also heard of cases where the teacher purposely does not cover all of the material in the classroom so that the children are basically forced to attend the tuition classes so that they can be prepared for their exams in school.

Having to basically bribe your way through school to be taught the material that should of been covered in the classroom originally is not a good system.  Even if this unethical practice is not always the case, the "tuition" system is very prevalent in Mauritius and is a major area of concern as has been noted by independent review panels previously.

Schools such as Northfields also have the added advantage in the curriculum they follow in preparing kids for university admissions outside of Mauritius.  It is hard enough for a child to gain admittance to a top university as it is, but if they are coming from a government school that may or may not follow any internationally recognized curriculum the odds are that much greater in getting in.

Children attending Northfields for example are also in a much more diverse environment in both a socio and economic standpoint.   This also helps broaden the child's mind and has bigger benefits in the long term.  Not ever child that attends Northfields pays the full fees either.  There are a number of children who have scholarships and/or assistance in regards to the fees so do not think that the school is elitist by any measure. 

Obviously, those that have the money to pay for a top notch education will more than likely do so for their children, but there are others there whose families cannot afford the cost on their own, but have exceptionally bright children and the school has rewarded those children so as to create a diverse environment not filled with just "rich kids."

Additionally, Northfields has a huge number of extracurricular activities offered to their students not found in the vast majority of other government schools.  These activities have to be funded some how and the poor funding for government schools and low pay for the teachers at those schools is another reason why many teachers supplement their income by offering after school tuition.  There is then a potential conflict of interest that is ripe for abuse.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a parent of a student at Northfields that has anything negative to say about the school other than the fees.  Obviously people would like to have everything for free, but the school has to be funded somehow and when you look at the alternative, there really is no comparison or choice in my opinion.  This is not to say that a child cannot receive a proper education in the government system, but the odds are stacked against them and it too will come at a high cost more than likely through the tuition system.


On a separate matter for Stormtrooper, if you are going to call out the Northfields website for having punctuation and grammatical errors and use that as evidence as to why your "normal" schooling was superior, then you should also look at your own written bio and clean up your own grammatical, punctuation and capitalization errors if you want anyone to take you seriously.  As it is, your case falls a bit short in my opinion due to the numerous mistakes you have on your own bio.   

I do not criticize something while making the same mistakes myself.  I am by no means an English language expert, but I believe the word is.....hypocrite.

Stormtrooper wrote:

I attended a normal secondary school in Mauritius and my English is not to 'degree standard' at all. I'm only in IT and, though a number of people say I've done quite well in this field, nobody has ever complimented me on my 'written english'.

It's all above Sir/Madam... in plain english!

The point I make is, if you can't speak english yourselves, how can a school CLAIM to be an 'English-speaking school' and charge $11,000 a year per student for the right? This is like a Doctor charging $1,000 for brain surgery but has no brain himself!.

Remember... i do NOT, nor will EVER, open an english-speaking school. My written english is crap.. so how can I?

ps: Yes the word is indeed 'hypocrite'... but you'll find this word actually applies to the school itself, and the money it charges for the privilege (ie Eengleesh-spiking skewl = $11,000). Poot simplee, eye kahn right woteva eye lyke.. eye doughn't tcharje muhnee four eet!

Bunkoma,

  Do you know if Northfields allows its teachers to offer private tuition after hours? I know that Le Bocage prohibits its teaching staff from offering tuition, and this is often cited as the reason for the school's high staff turnover.

  Just curious if the same is true of Northfields and, if so, how they combat the turnover issue...

RCK

Bunkoma,

Are you aware that the Principal of Northfields said in an interview with L'Express last year that his students are dumb compared to students attending government schools in Mauritius?

bunkoma wrote:

Schools such as Northfields also have the added advantage in the curriculum they follow in preparing kids for university admissions outside of Mauritius.  It is hard enough for a child to gain admittance to a top university as it is, but if they are coming from a government school that may or may not follow any internationally recognized curriculum the odds are that much greater in getting in.

Although I may agree on some of the points that you mentioned, but that part is utter nonsense. Saying that kids who have been to govt schools have a poor chance of getting into top ranked universities??

You should check your facts before you write something like this. Most students in top ranking universities around the whole that come from Mauritius are from the so called "crap" govt schools. The education system may have its flaws, but bright kids will shine, no matter where they are schooled.

I know of young people from government schools in Mauritius, gaining entry to Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, Princeton etc. Note I said I know them personally (not hearsay).
However I will side with the many other issues you have raised regarding 'private tuition', teachers giving preference to 'their pupils' etc. This is true. I am also against the 'wooden approach' to teaching with exams resembling 'memory tests' more than anything else.
With Northfield I am not disputing if their education is good or not. It just surprises me that not one of their students, teachers, the headmaster or even any of the parents actually said 'hey.. can we correct these silly errors please? It's making us look a bit stupid!' This is showing, more than anything else, a lack of respect for standards and is just blatantly unprofessional. The attitude is a bit 'so what?'.. 'no problemo'... 'we'll do it later' instead of the usual British 'fix that now.. stand up straight, fix that tie, look sharp' kind of attitude. Hence I guess what i'm trying to say is, if i were to pay $11,000 per etc... I would ALSO expect STANDARDS in this price.
I also agree 100% with Alisa_Ram when she says a student will shine wherever you put them.

Stormtrooper wrote:

I know of young people from government schools in Mauritius, gaining entry to Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, Princeton etc. Note I said I know them personally (not hearsay).
.

I know also the children of some ministers or secretary of cabinet or ambassadors who are "dunces" who have managed to get accepted in said institutions also for some ArtSci  "tutu" degrees

We have some examples in Government House

lol@External. The types I refer to are not the types you refer to. A few minutes convo with the ones you refer to will instantly separate the wheat from the chaff. Easy peasy.

To Bunkoma:

How dare you say that government schools do not prepare students for university studies???? I went to Loreto Convent QB and won a full scholarship to Harvard. After graduate school, also on scholarship, I was hired by Harvard Medical School.
While working on my BSc, I was one of the most advanced students and was allowed to take graduate courses to fulfill the degree requirements. My cousins were all students of QEC (government school) and they all attended the best universities in Europe. My father attended Royal College Curepipe (government school) and is a graduate of Imperial College (UK). He came from a very modest background and became the CEO of one of the biggest companies on the island. He traveled the world and was offered a job at NASA!!!
As an American, you do not know and have not been through the Mauritian education system. You are therefore not in any position to judge or comment on it. Anyone in Mauritius, who is working as a waitress or maid, did not succeed because they were too lazy to put in the effort.
Before picking on “stormtrooper” about his English, you should check your own spelling and punctuation. Besides, he makes a very good point. A school’s website is a window into the school, if there are mistakes on the site, how can you trust these people to educate your children???

By the way, I NEVER took private tuition from any of my school teachers and was never discriminated against. That is absolute RUBBISH.

FWIW: Now that everything is FREE , there are govt schools and govt schools - that's is the "STAR" schools like what have been mentioned above and those "colleges" which have mushroomed around the island. For sure those going to the "STAR" schools won't need private tuition BUT I don't believe that the parents do not push them, one way or the other, so that they get over that first hurdle in life and get  listed for the "petite bourse" ( or whatever it is called today).
Like I said before  coming from well-known families on the island or surrounded by multiple generations of well-connected native Mauritians can be a plus to get the Admissions Dean from some prestigious Institutions to reserve some seats for those potential politicians from some under-developed countries. After all the F.O. and the State Dept will be happy !!!!!!!!!

Just look at Oxbridge Alumni societies for the name of despots or their progeniture or Yale for legacy admissions  or the name of Mugabe or Quaddafi as LSE Alumni- yikes!!!!!!!

Although I was offered a 'star school' in Mauritius (based upon fact that I actually attended a 'star-school-of-sorts' in London, gained entry via 11+ exams) I actually refused the offer based upon, and this could be a bit embarrassing to say, the fact that it was unisex! This decision was not received well at all by my mother, uncles, aunts etc in Mauritius. My previous UK school was unisex and, being a bit of a lad in those days, was dam boring and hell if i was going to make the same mistake twice. I ended up in a quite normal government-funded secondary school in Mauritius. Our classrooms were nicknamed 'chicken huts' because, well, they really did look like huts made for chickens! When it rained it leaked and part of the class had to 'squeeze' with other students. Great fun I have to say... no regrets and thoroughly enjoyed those days!

Hello everyone

I must admit that this thread has taken serious turn. Glad to read that members from Mauritius are very interested in the education topic/theme. But, I think it is becoming off topic . Can you please create a new discussion for "voicing out" your opinions and debating your views.

I did not say government schools are crap nor did I say that they do not prepare students for university studies.  What I did say is that there is a potential conflict of interest with the heavy dependency on the after school tuition programs for the students that attend many government schools. 

Additionally, if the teachers and curriculum in every government school is so great, then there wouldn't be such a huge after school tuition industry in Mauritius.  And if the government schools are so great, then that should also hold true for the universities in Mauritius, but many of you have claimed how you or someone you know has gone to Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, etc.  Why would you/they go overseas for university?  Is it perchance because of the better learning environment and greater potential opportunities one would have access to by attending a university with a better reputation that is more well known than a university in Mauritius?

The same holds true for schooling prior to university.  If you can increase the chances of achieving something better for your child and lower the odds stacked against your child then I bet most parents would do so if they were able.

It is true that a bright student can achieve great things in any environment, but the more nurturing that environment is to prepare a child and the greater the support network is within any school then the better the odds are that the child will actually be able to achieve their true potential.

It holds true for both schools as well as universities.  If a person has some form of natural intelligence and the ability to learn and also has a good work ethic and dedication then anything can happen.  The better the environment and the more tools and the greater the access to opportunities that are available will only make it easier for that to happen though.

I am by no means saying that every government school on the island is crap nor am I saying that children that attend government schools have no opportunity to achieve great things either academically or professionally.  Anything is possible.

What I was talking about was increasing the chances and making it easier for a child to achieve by attending a school that has more resources and having teachers that are more dedicated to teaching in the classroom at the school as opposed to their after school tuition program.  If a parent can find a good government school for their child that can provide an excellent education and opportunities with out the fees that a school like Northfields charges then great.

The things I spoke about regarding problems in government schools in Mauritius I have seen first hand with family members of my Mauritian fiancée and have listened to their complaints and dissatisfaction with the government education system.  I myself have gone and met with some of their kids' teachers and the headmaster of one of the so called "better" government schools in the north part of the island to see for myself.  I have personally witnessed the lack of dedication to the students and the lack of resources available in even some of the so called "good" government schools.

I had a conversation recently with a former education minister of Mauritius and he has said the same things to me that I mentioned in my earlier post.  I may not have gone through the Mauritian education system, but I do have a understanding of the system and am basing my comments on what I have witnessed.

I also am very familiar with Northfields and have interacted with a number of the administrators, teachers and directors of the school.  The school is not perfect by any means and I believe everyone involved with the school would agree, but they are all working hard to improve the school and make it even better than it already is.   

I have also been very involved in the higher education system in the US with prominent universities and have worked with admissions officers at the university level so I know what they look at when reviewing applications.  If choosing between a student that went to some random Mauritian government school and one that went to Northfields, all else being equal, the Northfields student will more than likely be chosen given the international reputation of the IB curriculum Northfields follows. 

If you or someone you know was able to succeed through the government system, great...congratulations....there are thousands more though that have not, but who knows, maybe if they were in a different system they might have.

Hello everyone ,

I have created a new thread as from the messages in the discussion: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=57501

Best regards

bunkoma wrote:

If you or someone you know was able to succeed through the government system, great...congratulations....there are thousands more though that have not, but who knows, maybe if they were in a different system they might have.

'Different system' = Rs 30,000 a month just for one kids' schooling??

I'd rather keep my kid at home and get him to learn off YOUTUBE free tutorials.

Seriously though who the heck pays Rs 30,000 for little kids schooling??

Incidentally... Governor Palin (that lady who nearly became vice president of USA) didn't know Africa was a continent. What 'Prepatory' school she go to? And doesn't it alarm anyone that over 40% of the whole 'educated USA' (the USA who use a 'different system of education') voted for someone who, because she could 'see Russia' from her rooftop, thought she could keep a good eye on the Russians?

I chose to attend a US university instead of the University of Mauritius because at the time, the local university was tiny, with no medical school, research or biotechnology. Most students at the time had no option but to go abroad – which again reinforces my point that you have no idea what you are talking about. You make grand statements even though you have not been through the system and have no idea how things were/are in Mauritius.
As far as private tuition is concerned, parents do it because they want to make sure that their children have the best education. Most if not all kids attending star schools take private tuition because they want to be the best they can be, NOT because their school teachers are withholding part of the curriculum from them! Even Bocage students (an IB school) take private tuition.
Stories about government school teachers not finishing the curriculum to punish those not paying them for private tuition are made up by a segment of the population who would rather party and drink than spend on their kids’ education. These people will find any excuse to justify their failures.
My son attended an IB school on the island – ONLY because it was cleaner than the nearest government school. But I was extremely disappointed with the program. The IB education level was low relative to government schools and my son was so bored that I withdrew him after several months. I have also spoken to several South African parents. Some are so disappointed with the IB education in Mauritius that they feel compelled to send their children to boarding school abroad. One of the top level South African executives on the island whose daughter attended IB schools all over the world told me that the IB education in Mauritius is the WORST he has ever seen.
The principal of Northfields said in an interview with L’Express last year that his students are not as intelligent as students from government schools.
As far as the education ministers are concerned, they will do and say whatever it takes to get re-elected. Their opinion changes depending on who they are speaking to at the time.
I strongly disagree with the point that US universities prefer an IB diploma to HSC. I know for a FACT that this is a lie. My best friend in college, Kathy, was British and had an IB diploma from her high school in Sao Paolo. As we were both in the hurry to graduate, we applied for advanced credit in our freshman year. Kathy’s request (IB) was declined and mine (HSC) was accepted. Even though she had an IB, her IB grades were not of the required level. An IB diploma will definitely NOT increase your chances of getting admitted to the best universities. Thousands of students apply to Harvard each year with perfect IB diplomas but only the best candidates are accepted regardless of whether they have HSC, GCE, or IB. I have in the past interviewed students on behalf of two of the best US universities and the students I approved all had HSCs. Universities want intelligent but well-rounded students, regardless of where their diplomas came from.

I know some (government) schools in Mauritius are actually known as excellent schools to some top universities abroad. Admittedly these are those 'star schools', but still.. they are very well known in UK and US.

To put in my two pence into this,

I manage a very bright and talented bunch of young Mauritian graduates, some who did University abroad and some who did Graduation at UoM. All of them did their schooling here. I cant very clearly say that the ones from Unis abroad are significantly ahead ( infact, the top performer is from UoM)

I can objectively as a neutral Expat, say that not only do most of them speak good english(thats what they converse with me in) but they are  also very smart and bright.(otherwise we wont hire them!!)

Most do belong to the star schools "Royal College, St.Espirit, MGI, Queen Elizabeth college".
Being bright and smart is down to the IQ of the person and general work ethic.

Those who studied abroad in univs went to top Unis,this means these Star schools are obviously recognized and known.

I agree that the Tuition menace has to be eradicated, but otherwise, you cant necessarily say the ones in private school are better and brighter.

They are maybe more polished and presentable because of their affluent backgrounds, this doesnt mean they are more intelligent.
In any case, most of these students go off to Unis abroad.

The majority who stay back are from middle class background, and its well known, most of the brightest and most successful minds arounmd have come from not so affluent and/or tough backgrounds!

Musheer

I think you did a good thing commenting here. Thank you for your neutral input.

At the end of the day, Musheer said it all with 'being bright and smart is down to the IQ of the person and general work ethic.'.
I would say this is especially true in IT-related work.
I have to say when we do general recruiting for my company, we used to look at the degree/school qualifications, etc. Not any more... pointless. I recently started conducting only psychometric tests and I DO like them. They really do separate the apples from the pears and tell me so much more about a candidate. In fact, at the end of the tests, you may actually find the person would be more suitable for an entirely different role than what you advertised in the first place. I do not give any real importance to the degree (especially if it's IT-related) anymore. For a fact I know the BSc degree is of general secondary school level and anything short of a 'first' is not acceptable to me if i were to unleash them onto my database. Regarding the Masters degree(IT), it's too easy.. and that's the bottom line. I even told my son this and my daughter will be starting hers at some point. I always use to think it was a 'big deal'. In fact I used to be scared by the very name of the degree... 'MASTERS'. I mean, it's intimidating right??? Makes you wonder what kind of genius gets one of those right? Well I'm really sorry to say it but you cannot even call a Masters 'easy', I should be saying 'too easy'. In fact it's so easy one could classify it as 'boring as hell' in many places. Hardly challenging. Anyone with reasonable intelligence can pass a Masters (IT). It's a no-brainer. You could party half your time at uni and still get 50%.  I've seen people get these kind of marks... wouldn't trust them one minute with an Access database. Had I not attended the Masters programme (London,UK) myself, I would not have seen its' 'true colours'... a real eye-opener it was for me. I got almost angry when I discovered how simple it was... like you're wasting money paying for the programme in the first place. I thought to myself 'anyone can pass this.. what's the point?' In around 6 months time I will be appointing two 'successors' to my job role. The requirements will be either that the person got a distinction (a.k.a Summa Cum Laude in US) with their Masters, and i probably won't find this person (but who knows?)... or I will do a series of psychometric tests, topped up with an IQ test, and blatantly refuse to look at anyones' past qualifications... and I believe i'll find my guy/girl this way.
Word of advice to any organisation wanting to recruit the best. Check their IQ first and THEN send them on training. Do not pay too much attention to 'certificates'.

Unfortunately here in MRU, they still look at your SC and HSC results even if you end up having a Phd ( I've seen this is most companies).

They're not interested to know what your skills are but, what the piece of paper says. No wonder we have so many incompetents at the head of some organisations here.

For the most part, I agree with External and Burkoma.  For those who attend elite state or private schools, there are few, if any, obstacles to a child realising his or her full potential.  Those who opt out of the state system do so for a wide range of reasons, as both these posters have detailed.  I'm not going to discuss those further in detail,  there is no need.  To label state schools as crap or private school students as stupid is something that is extremely naive and says a great deal about the person making those kind of comments.

On the state system, I believe that many foreigners choose to send their children to privately run institutions as the syllabus is likely to be similar to that their children have studied to elsewhere.  In addition, their is a familiarity that these schools can provide, there is no great culture shock which would exist when moving to not just a new school, but a Mauritian state one.  Finally, there is the language barrier that would have to be overcome, not just in lessons and learning, but with fellow pupils too.

The issues that concern me as an observer of the Mauritian education system are:

i) It's rigidity.  I do not believe that on the whole it builds a philosophy of creative thinking, of not just learning, but challenging the fundamentals of what is being learnt.

ii) Private tuition.  While I appreciate that some of you who have replied to this issue do not consider it to be an issue, I know many low to middle Income earning Mauritians who bemoan this practise.  I know of many teachers that make private tuition a requirement in all but name.

iii) ZEP schools and education in the poorest communities of Mauritius.  Many children, of a particularly demographic, are effectively excluded from education at the age of 11.

iv)  Finally the 11+.  At 11, no teacher nor examiner could have predicted my future academic success or lack thereof based on an 11+ exam.

@Stormtrooper - I sincerely hope you are ranting in your last post.  As we now know that you would not trust a Masters degree holder with an Access database, should Microsoft add a further requirement of a PhD to the minimum requirements?  You should, seeing as you see yourself as an oracle given your criticism of the University system, realise that there is no definitive evidence than an IQ can measure intelligence.  In fact, the tests have been shown to be biased.  If you want someone to manage your Microsoft database, or develop a website for you, then there are enough people with certifications out there for those kind of things.  It's not what an undergraduate, and more so a postgraduate degree in the field should ever be about.

@stephenn - It would be great if this was a debate about the degree system in UK, or the merits of a bachelors, masters or Phd. However the case is I won't debate this purely because, as a professional 'in-the-field' and even having the pleasure of interviewing a 'Phd' once for a job role (too dumb at the end.. turned out he knew 'too much' regarding 'too little'), i know it's a total waste of time to discuss with 'university geeks' with no 'real-world' experience of IT. Secondly I would not just rely purely upon an IQ test, but also EQ, SI and other psychometric tests before making a decision about anything. Finally, you actually say it all when you say 'If you want someone to manage your microsoft database, or develop a website for you, then there are enough people with certifications out there for those kind of things'. Well, THIS is the kind of answer I'd expect from someone who was a pure geek with no 'field experience'.. a proper 'book answer'. (and yes i'm aware you're completing a Phd.. good luck.. hope you do well!).
ps: I do hope you scored OVER 90% average on your masters before even contemplating a Phd. I say this because that's the only time I would ever think of doing one