Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun : “Our aim is to ensure that students leave the education system as trained, skilled and responsible citizens”

The new academic year 2018 will start on Tuesday 09th January for all students of the primary and secondary levels. In an interview with News on Sunday, the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research revealed the Ministry’s priorities for year 2018. Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun also shared some information about the challenges and new projects in the education sector.

What are the priorities of the Ministry for the new academic year 2018?
The priority of the Ministry is to always well prepare our youths so that at the end of their school journey, they are equipped with all the tools that will allow them to face challenges coming their way. The most important of all is that they leave as capable and responsible citizens. The building of the nation is done through education. It is at school that we learn how to live and accept others with their differences and construct on our multi-ethnic and multi-cultural richness.

What are the different steps to achieve these priorities?
We have already embarked in the reform with six pillars: the complete review of the curriculum, the training of educators, the school environment, new pedagogies, a new approach in the evaluation of our students. So there is a series of measures that we have undertaken and that will eventually lead us to the objectives we have, which are the education and training of our youth. The process has already started since two years now. However, the reform is now moving to the second phase, which is the secondary level.

What will be the focus of the education reform for year 2018?
This year we have our youths who will integrate Grade 7. Preparations have already been launched in this direction, namely with the new school books. I am happy to note that parents are showing much satisfaction as they have been able to buy all the books in less than Rs 1,000. In addition, in terms of content, images, quality of the book, the books are up to the level and they trigger one’s interest to learn.

Furthermore, we have launched a new system for the secondary level, which is the extended programme. The Nine-Year Continuous Basic Education (NYCBE) aims to ensure that all students get the basic education over nine years but for those who have difficulties in learning, we have extended the cycle by one year so as to allow them to acquire the necessary skills and later be able to chose an area of study – that is whether to continue in the main stream (continue their studies in the same school), join an academy or choose to pursue his/her studies in the technical sector.

During these four years, the students in the extended programme will be able to enjoy various facilities such as their educator, a facilitator who will accompany them, a curriculum adapted to their level with new pedagogies and new approach to teaching and learning.

Parents and people in the education sector trust that the rat race will increase with the reform and those students will have to have recourse to private tuitions with the National Certificate of Education examinations. What are your views?
This will not be the case. The Ministry is coming forward with a new system called the Student Support Programme (SSP), which is an online support. We are preparing different lessons for students and these will be available online after school hours. We are still finalizing it and it will be available on a platform that will be accessible to all students.

What are the major challenges and upcoming projects for the Academic Year 2018?
Every year, each school establishment has a goal and strives to achieve it. At the Ministry, we must also ensure that we achieve the goals we have set. The first goal is to ensure that our students leave the education system as trained and skilled individuals. 

At the primary level, there is the early support programme which is ongoing. There are also the holistic and remediation curriculum and we want to have the same built-in system for the secondary level.

We have the IT approach. There will be the introduction of tablets for students of Grade 1 and Grade 2. This will be done as from the second week of school resumption and everything will be ready by the end of the first school term. By the end of the year, there will be connectivity for the IT devices in all our primary institutions.

We will have the Obesity Prevention Strategy which we will introduce next year. We will do a health follow-up with students, and teach them good health habits, among others. In ZEP schools, we have already launched ZEP2. We have started with the training of educators and the Brain Base Learning project is ongoing. The new kitchens will be ready by the end of the second school term in two ZEP schools, namely at Bois des Amourettes and Pointe aux Piments.

We will extend the After School Sports programme for Grade 4 students of all primary institutions. More students will benefit from the swimming courses and we will build a swimming pool in each of the four zones.

What about secondary level?
The preparation for students joining Grade 7 with the implantation of the new curriculum, new pedagogies and the extended programme. We want to ensure that all will be going according to our plans and move towards a certain autonomy.

We have prescribed books and a prescribed curriculum but each secondary school establishment in the country must ensure that they provide the necessary support to the students including those in the extended programme. There will be the Student Support Programme (SSP).

We will also launch a new programme on managing emotions, values, norms, patriotism among others. This will prepare the students for their social life. We are working with the MIE, the Rotary and the Ministry on how to implement this.

We will also be coming forward with four additional scholarships in regional schools (by zones). These scholarships will be exclusively for regional schools and students who have chosen to stay in their regional colleges will thus have more chances to get a scholarship.

Will the tertiary level be reviewed?
We are reviewing the professional training. We will have the Campus Management in line with our IT strategy. It will allow us to access information on the tertiary institutions. There is the Higher Education Act which will be implemented soon, as we are positioning Mauritius as a regional education hub.

Agreements have been settled between the MIE and Edith Cowan University in Australia and between Murdoch University and all our tertiary institutions (UOM and UTM). Courses will be delivered in a joint way. Polytechnics institutions will operate as from this year namely with courses in the ICT sector which will start. Hospitality and Tourism courses as well will start. Other regional tertiary institutions will be opening their mini campuses.

On the Polytechnic side, students will have the opportunity to experience the world of work with the dual programme. They will get a placement while still studying.

What is your message to parents in regards to the beginning of the new academic year 2018?
Since the very beginning of the reform, we have said that we have worked so that there is a feel good factor at primary level with the introduction of the holistic education, holistic educators, remediation at primary level, and a new programme on managing emotions.

With the introduction of Performing Arts in the curriculum, the introduction of the After School Sports in some primary schools last year, the students are benefiting from a different type of education. We will ensure that students benefit from an all-round development and revive their interest in learning.

We have put more emphasis on the critical thinking instead of focusing on memorization. I strongly believe that we will see the results of the education reform in some years and it will be positive.