Budget 2021-22 makes provision of Rs 17 billion for the education sector, an increase of some Rs 2 billion as compared to last year. The objective is to prepare the youth to become responsible citizens and a driving force of the society.
Key measures include:
- The upgrading and embellishment of school infrastructure, starting this year with 20 public pre-primary schools, 70 primary schools and 30 secondary schools.
- Investment in a Comprehensive Facility Maintenance Programme led by Mauri-Facilities Management Company Ltd.
- The recruitment of 257 Surveillants, 257 Library Officers and 34 Educational Psychologists for primary and secondary schools; 10 Coordinators and 10 Assistant Coordinators for pre-primary schools; and 235 additional support teachers for the extension of the Early Support Programme to all primary pupils.
- Increasing the monthly per-capita grant for children attending private pre-primary schools from Rs 200 to Rs 400. More than 22,000 children will benefit annually.
- The grant to NGOs running Special Education Needs (SEN) schools will also be increased from Rs 138 million to Rs 151 million to cater for:
- An increase from Rs 5,400 to Rs 6,000 for the Basic Grant component in the Grant-in-aid formula for each student;
- An increase in the meal allowance for students attending SEN schools from Rs 60 to Rs 75 per day; and
- A grant to new registered NGOs to support SEN students with autism and those suffering from visual and hearing difficulties.
Other measures include:
- Setting up of Resource and Development Units in five SEN schools at Rose Belle, Curepipe, Quatre Bornes, Port Louis and Black River to facilitate access to paramedical services and therapy.
- Activity books of grades 1 to 6 to be adapted for learners with visual, hearing, intellectual impairment, as well as for autism.
- Braille notes to be acquired for secondary school students with severe visual impairments.
As for secondary education, budget 2021-22 provides for:
- Some Rs 850 million for the construction of a new school at Rivière du Rempart and the extension of 15 schools over the next three years.
- The construction of multipurpose halls and playfields in secondary schools at Goodlands, Floreal, Sodnac, Vacoas, Bell Village and Ebène, at a cost of some Rs 490 million.
- Rs 170 million for the deployment of wireless local area network in 155 secondary schools in Mauritius and Rodrigues.
- To modernise the Technical and vocational education and training sector, measures include:
- Setting up of an Institute of Technical Education and Technology to provide technical education at Grades 10 and 11.
- Construction of a New Technical Education Centre at Ebène.
- Expanding the Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd campus at Réduit.
As for Tertiary Education, budget 2021-22 makes provision for the following:
- Investment by the University of Mauritius, University of Technology and l’Université des Mascareignes of some Rs 33 million in an e-Learning Management System to support online learning.
- Construction of the Civil Service College at Réduit to the tune of Rs 70 million.
