The vacations are over, and children will be returning to school next week. Grades 1, 7 and 10 will start on January 10, while all other classes will resume on January 11. The school year will come to an end on November 6 for primary students and October 30 for secondary students.
The first term will end on April 5, followed by a two-week vacation for students before starting the second term on April 22. The second term ends on July 19. Primary school students will have four weeks off before starting the third term on August 19, while secondary school students will have a 3-week break before resuming on August 12.
Free Pre-Primary
This year is marked by free tuition in some pre-primary schools. Schools accepting the Grant in Aid Scheme will offer free tuition, covered entirely by the Ministry of Education. The scheme covers teachers’ salaries, as well as the costs of premises, electricity, water and school materials.
Thanks to free schooling, children will benefit from increased attention from nursery nurses. In fact, the nursery nurses will only look after a group of 15 children, as opposed to the 25 mentioned at the first meeting between the Minister and school heads.
On the other hand, nursery schools that do not adhere to the new system will continue to receive a subsidy of Rs 400 per pupil. Of the 775 nursery schools, 652 have already indicated their intention to join the new Ministry of Education system.
Bright up Programme
Another new feature in the school environment is the Bright Up Programme, run by the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) in 2024. This program will offer students who have not passed the National Certificate of Education (NCE) exams the opportunity to continue their studies at MITD. It will focus on empowering vulnerable young people through life skills, outdoor education and social mentoring.
For students who have not obtained their NCE, the Bright Up program will enable them to enroll in the program or retake the NCE exams. Community schooling, an integral part of the program, will require the involvement of parents and schools to best support the child. Pupils will be able to choose to pursue general education, the technological stream or opt for technical training offered by MITD.
This initiative, the fruit of collaboration between MITD, NISF and MSC, aims to give young people an alternative route to develop their skills and offer them educational and professional opportunities.
