Greatest Country on Earth! What US can learn from Mauritius

I've actually told this to my partner many times. I did not go as far as to say it was the 'greatest country on earth' but I have always mentioned Mauritius has done exceptionally well.

I also mention that, because Mauritius has done so well, a lot of us tend to compare Mauritius to Europe and this is why we end up seeing many 'failings' in Mauritius... especially expats and Mauritians who have lived abroad for a long time.

I've come to realise we cannot compare Mauritius to Europe. Mauritius is still a 'baby'. As recently as 20 years ago we didn't even have a big supermarket in this country. We had Prisunic but that was small in todays' comparison. There have been many more improvements happened over the past 20 years.

The biggest improvement, in my opinion, in Mauritius was the introduction of free primary and secondary school education in 1976, by Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (our first PM). This was a huge thing in its day. I actually thought it would only last 2-3 years. It's been 35 years now... incredible. And now the kids bus is free too.

Sir S Ramgoolam knew the one key to Mauritius success would be 'education for all'. I had a single parent (mother), there was no social security, and she would really have struggled to pay for my schooling. She never did pay because of this great mans reform.

Later in life our Prime Minister Aneerood Jugnauth wanted Mauritius to become computer-literate (approx 1990). The DBM (Development Bank) was instructed to give 4-year (interest-free) loans for the public to buy computers. Computers were selling like hotcakes from 1991 - 1993. Not so in the UK I can tell you for a fact.

Because of this great man, I could afford to purchase my first computer in August 1993 (Rs 48,000 it was.. payable over 4 years) and, by the time it came to pay off the loan (1997), I had already learned everything I needed to know about computers, went to UK, and was recruited as part of a 16-man team building the first ever implementation of Internet Banking (Woolwich Building Society HQ) in the UK. I then went on to be the Senior Technical Consultant (for IBM), heading 30 other IT consultants, to build the first paperless office in the UK, in that same year of 'repayment' (This project was featured in BBC TV 'Tommorrows world' science programme).

Prior to taking the loan I was delivering bread, using my van, to hospitals in North of Mauritius.

Yes, Mauritius is great, but I'm a perfectionist and KNOW there is GREAT room for improvement.

IIRC Primary Schooling has always been free on the island-that's why most are called xxx or yyy govt school except for some religious schools such as the Catholic ones where a fee was required, e.g. sisters of Loretto schools.

If am not mistaken, Mauritius' welfare state is considered one of the best in the world.

I wouldn't go as far as saying the island is the best country, but with little means( as compared to developed countries) we fare better. There's still scope for improvement!

just logged on specifically to post this exact article


i agree full-heartedly. LOVE MAURITIUS <3

The people who are badly treated(or not treated at all ) in State hospitals, the children who are denied conventional secondary education, the employees abused by their employers, those tortured by the police, those suffering everyday injustice,those living in squalor, those living on the most meagre incomes...I doubt that they would agree with the views of Joseph Stiglitz.

As member Alisa mentioned there is still scope for improvement. I guess every country got its pros and cons!

However, I admire the fact that Mauritius is among the few countries where education & health care are free!

Yes, we have our flaws; even the most developed countries have them.

We have had a serious dent in our reputation regarding crimes in our hotel, the monkey farming etc...

At least we can take some credit if there are good things too, not just throw mud at everything!

Contrary to popular beliefs, Mauritius is NOT paradise. Let's do our bit to make it a better place though.