The demonstration of the Union of Private Secondary Education Employees (UPSEE) against the abuse of power by the new management of the two departments of Mauritius College over the entire staff has alarmed the Private Secondary Education Authority (PSEA), especially the claims of the closure of these two institutions or the ‘take over’ of the management by the PSEA.
The PSEA’s director, Maheswarnath Luchoomun confirmed to Le Matinal that an urgent roundtable discussion will be held next week.
Protest against abuse of power
The numerous grievances against the New Manager, elected in December 2020, are varied and deemed to be too serious to ignore. Among them, incomprehensible promotions as well as unjustified dismissals, harassment of teaching staffs, dismissals without any plausible ground and a generalized mismanagement affecting the syllabus of the students of the two entities Boys & Girls. The UPSEE organized a peaceful protest with 7 key members of the Union on Tuesday 15th March in front of the said institution. “The entire staff is under constant pressure and this stress is physically affecting them, to the point that some are following a medical treatment, UPSEE has collected a hair too many grievances, including the decision of this demonstration. We need a quick but lasting change“, says Arvind Bhojun, secretary general of Upsee.
The person of interest
The Senior Educator, Vikash Rajmun, was elected by the Board of Directors, headed by the owner, Rajiy Roy. The latter took an extended leave from his position to take up the position of Manager and simultaneously operate both the Boys and Girls schools. Apart from the administrative and managerial actions that the staff describes as ‘unfair and unmeritocratic’. According to Arvind Bhojun, “the staff of Mauritius College reproaches the fact of bringing together the staffs of both institutions and of all grades in a single meeting where the Girls’ department has nothing to do with the Boys’ department and vice versa.” These meetings, too frequent, are fruitless for the staffs of both institutions and even, disrupt the smooth running of classes. The PSEA issued a statement to stop this procedure in a letter dated 24th June 2021. This person had even been the subject of an investigation committee but, in addition to never having had any fallout, he has been promoted.” UPSEE has issued the ultimatum of a general strike by the staffs of Mauritius College and threatens the closure of these two institutions if the management is not changed. They propose that PSEA should proceed with a ‘Take Over’.
PSEA’s urgent round table
According to Article 5A of the PSEA ACT of 2016, under the heading Powers of Authority, in Section 1 (b)(i) states that PSEA has the authority to “take over, establish or manage secondary schools and pre-vocational schools, or laboratories, workshops or libraries in private secondary and pre-vocational schools.” But, “such a thing has never happened in Mauritius before. PSEA will remedy this situation as clinically as possible,” says Maheswarnath Luchoomun, the Director of PSEA. He explains that he has met Vikash Rajmun twice since his appointment, with the last meeting being on Friday 11th March. “Prior to his appointment, the PSEA had ceremoniously given him a list of guidelines to follow, a list of persistent problems to be modified, including the traditional way of convening and conducting an important staff meeting. This procedure must be done in the institution concerned and with the members of the Senior Educators concerned. We have taken note of the anonymous complaints of the staffs as well as the organization of the demonstration in front of the establishment by UPSEE, as well as their complaints. We will be convening both parties to a roundtable discussion within the next week to resolve these differences. PSEA acts as a facilitator, moderator and authority, with our priority being the smooth running of a school for the best educational atmosphere of the students,” said Maheswarnath Luchoomun, aka Shiv.
Regarding the previous investigation committee and the accusations of favors towards this Senior Educator, who became the new Manager of these two establishments, the Director of PSEA specifies, “the investigation committee on this Senior Educator had denied the complaints. He was cleared of any blame, including the non-objection of PSEA to his appointment by the Board of Directors of Mauritius College.”
UPSEE is sticking to its position that this management must go and a general strike has already been announced. “The recent promotions and dismissals, the unjust and unjustified dismissals and the daily pressure on the teachers at the end of the day calls for us to sound the alarm. “ says Arvind Bhojun. They are eagerly awaiting the intervention of the PSEA.
Unsatisfactory 2020-2023 grants
Private colleges are threatening to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the two measures in the new Grants formula for the period 2020-2023. These measures, in which all their finances and projects are managed by PSEA, prevent them from operating properly and freely. On 4th March, the ministerial cabinet decided on the sum of Rs 300,000 for the Annual Rental Value, retroactive to 1 July 2021 but it does not include the space and infrastructure outside the buildings where the new Comprehensive Grant Formula covers only buildings. For the expenditure on other spaces and infrastructures, the management will have to resort to a loan from the Development Bank of Mauritius which is limited to Rs 15 million over a period of 7 years with an interest rate of 2.75% per annum. The dissatisfaction is shared by all the federations and unions of the private colleges, whose decision to close the schools for one day is symbolic. The date will be announced after feedback from the Ministry of Education and the PSEA .
