To mark the 40 years since the International day of Creole language and culture began to be celebrated, the Akademi Kreol Repiblik Moris (AKRM) and the Creole Speaking Union (CSU), in collaboration with the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) and the University of Mauritius (UoM), organised, on Tuesday 31st October 2023, a one-day activity on the theme ‘Creole Literature: new voices, new texts, new style…’.
Several round tables on different aspects of Creole Literature such as novels, short stories, and poetry by recent local authors were held. An exhibition featuring literary texts in Creole published to date and on events/reflections on Creole language held in the last 15 years was scheduled too.
The one-day activity was opened by the Chairperson of the National Examinations Board (NEB), Prof Vassen Naëck, in the presence of the President of the CSU and Representative of the UoM, Prof Arnaud Carpooran; the Director of the MIE, Dr Hemant Bessoondyal; the Secretary of the AKRM, Mr Soobeeraj Parmessa; and other personalities.
In his address, Prof Vassen Naëck highlighted the history and diversity of the Creole Language spoken by some 80 million people across the globe. While highlighting the differences in the linguistic aspects of the French-based Creole used in the regions of the Caribbean and Indian Ocean, he pointed out the varieties of Creole based on Portuguese, Spanish, English, Dutch and French languages.
An outline of the advancement of the Mauritian Creole and its introduction in the school system was also given by Prof Naëck, bringing forth the pedagogical, cultural, psychological functions of the use of maternal languages by children in the school setting. He made an appeal for more strategic and longitudinal researches regarding the impact on children of being taught in their mother tongue.
The Chairperson of the NEB affirmed that it was symbolic that the first subject for which the Board would organise and conduct examinations for the secondary sub-sector was the Mauritian Creole. Recalling that the MIE had ‘mauricianise’ the school curriculum and examinations and developed diploma, certificate ad bachelor of education for the Mauritian Creole, Prof Naëck called for the professionalisation of the sector.
For his part, Prof Arnaud Carpooran elaborated on the theme chosen for the one-day activity. He was of the view that discussions would contribute to the preparatory phase for the introduction of the Mauritian Creole as an examination subject at the Higher School Certificate level.
