The list of grievances and demands of the Union of Private Secondary Education is long, but the one that is most emphasised is the resignation of the Director of the Private Secondary Education Authority. Union president Bojeparsad Jughdumby holds him responsible for many wrongdoings but also for a heavy-handed autocracy openly motivated by Education Minister Leela Devi Dookun Luchoomun.
The UPSEE press conference served to raise six issues that are detrimental to the smooth functioning of the education system in private secondary schools, for students and educators.
Improve Staggered and Online Classing
The first issue is the start of the third term. The UPSEE is asking for an extension of the academic year in order not to penalise students and not to lean towards catching on classes. Secondly, they discuss the current Online Teaching and Learning system, for the improvement of which “the ministry has not done much in two years”. They demanded a better platform that would be adapted to each grade. Not denying that face-to-face teaching remains crucial, they also asked that the resumption is in staggered classing supported by Online Classing. They also made a mention for consideration for transportation where Vans to be the exclusive mode of students and whose fees are supported by the ministry. However, for Online Classing, they ask that the Ministry provides all the computer and internet tools to the students but also to the teachers “instead of a loan offer!”They also spoke about the third term final exams.
Self-proclaimed superiority of PSEA Director
Furthermore, they let it out bluntly when it comes to director Mahesswarnath Luchoomun and PSEA. Regarding the non-recognition of educators’ qualifications approved by the Ministry of Education and the PSC but not by the PSEA, the question is: “Does the PSEA consider itself more superior than the Ministry of Education and the PSC?” the UPSEE president blasted. They revealed the non-payment of educators’ dues by the PSEA “there are several who have not yet received their salaries, their end of year bonuses, their first term bonuses, their transport bonuses which are paid precisely 14 days a month so that this payment is made without interruption. Some of them even found that their transport costs were deducted from their basic salaries during the last holidays,” said UPSEE secretary Arvin Bhojun. They also denounced a series of corruptions at the Mauritius College and the direct favours of the PSEA director to partners and executives at the Mauritius College. “The PSEA is supposed to be a regulatory body but Mahesswarnath Luchoomun is acting like a mafia and every private school has to have its authorization for a project, it will decide on subsidies, teachers’ appointments and promotions. There are no less than twenty complaints to the Ministry of Labour and more than a dozen to the police and the Ombudsman against these same managers of the Mauritius College,” says Arvin Bhojun.
Fact Finding Committee and Protestation
The UPSEE will send a request to the Prime Minister for a Fact-Finding Committee to focus on a series of wrongdoings that will be detailed in the letter. For them, the director must leave: “He is the husband of the Minister of Education but he is not the Master of the Education System. We have nothing against his person, but his position and his abusive methods. He must leave to make room for a more competent person! Our approach is democratic,” said the UPSEE secretary. They will also organise a peaceful protestation on Thursday 20 January, from 11:45 to 12:45 in front of the PSEA headquarters in Beau Bassin.
