The government is constantly working towards promoting all our children’s best interests, as evidenced by the philosophy of the Nine Years of Continuous Basic Education Reform which is based on equity, inclusion, and quality.
Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun will not change the Extended Programme. The Minister of Education held a press conference on Thursday to respond to comments and criticisms about the Extended Programme. “Since the PNQ, there have been a lot of comments from educationists and pundits. In the press too, there have been all kinds of statements, a lot of confusion, and a lot of noise,” she said.
The Minister of Education said it is time to set the record straight. “We need clarification so that the comments do not harm our children,” she said. For Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, the most important thing, which is lost on many, is that 71 students recovered and were able to enter Grade 10. In addition, 87 students were able to join one of the MITD centres. “Before you say anything, you have to think,” she said.
Regarding the demand by many for a return of the Prevoc, she said that there has never been a system as opaque as this one. Because, according to her, there has never been an evaluation.
The Minister of Education said that the system is not perfect. But she said it works. However, she said that there will be a change in the evaluation this year and that next year the Ministry will come up with a more appropriate evaluation system.
Speaking about the World Bank Report, she underscored that since its publishing to date, a lot of work has been carried out by her Ministry to ensure that all children can fulfil their potential along different pathways. She also stated that all the pedagogy around the Extended Programme aims at rebuilding the child’s self-confidence and motivation to be successful in the early years of their life.
It is recalled that in 2018, some 2,000 children of the Extended Programme undertook the National Certificate of Education examinations and most of them received an Attainment Certificate. Around 71 were admitted to Grade 10, while some 487 joined the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development. The progress of these children is constantly being monitored by the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology.
