Educational Matters
Mauritius Times – 60 Years
By Peter Ibbotson
Since 1947, the Education Authorities have been unable to open any new schools. Consequently, the number of Government Schools has risen while the number of Authorities’ schools has remained static.
As the number of government schools has risen, so has the number of teachers – First, Second and Third Class – employed there. But obviously the number of teachers employed in Authorities’ schools has not risen in the same way. And clearly, since the number of government schools has risen, the number of headships has risen; but not in the Authorities’ schools. There, the assistant teacher stagnates. If he wants promotion from First Class Teacher to Head Teacher, he has to wait for dead man’s shoes; he can be promoted to a Headship only within the service of his employing Authority: Roman Catholic, Church of England, Hindu or Muslim.
This leads to anomalies. If a teacher leaves the training college and joins the government teaching service, he knows he has better chances of promotion than if he enters the service of one of the Authorities. If he enters the government teaching service, he can get a Headship after about 15 years. If he enters the service of an Authority, he cannot. There are ex-servicemen who, after their teacher training, joined the government service in 1947 and have by now been promoted First Class. But their colleagues who left the training college at the same time for Authorities’ schools are still 2nd Class teachers. Seniority and merit, we are told, determine a man’s promotion; I would add, luck also, depending on whether he goes to a Government or Authority school after training. There are many assistant teachers in Authority schools who would by now have been promoted if they had gone to Government schools in the first place; they have been financially penalised in many cases, for their preference to teach in a religious environment where they would be able to teach their faith, be that faith Christianity, Hinduism or Islam.
As long as the unfortunate dichotomy exists – Government and Authority Schools – this unhealthy state of affairs is likely to persist. Promotion to Headships is not necessarily going to the best, the most suitable, teachers. Mr Ward once said in the Legislative Council that he would choose the best man for a job, even if it meant choosing a man from the streets. Mr Opper too declared that only what is best is good enough for Mauritius. The Government schools have no monopoly of good teachers, yet it is (by and large) the Government school teachers who are promoted to Headships. The Aided school teachers are denied promotion to headships in Government schools, even if they are the best teachers available.
The answer of course lies in the present promotion procedure and regulations. Once you start your teaching career in an Aided school, if you were sponsored by an authority at the training college, then you must stay with that Authority all your career. But if you start as a Government teacher, then a Government teacher you remain; and your chances of promotion are correspondingly enhanced. And the case of Miss Gujardharsing established the fact that a teacher who was not sponsored is to be regarded as a Government teacher notwithstanding that he or she starts teaching in an Aided school.
The solution to this vexed problem, which is not unnaturally causing dissatisfaction among the teachers in Aided schools, is not a common seniority list (to which the Authorities would never agree), but a common pool for promotion. This would mean that Aided school teachers would be considered along with Government teachers for promotion to headships, with the proviso that the Authorities should reserve the right (which they need not necessarily wish to exercise) to recall any teacher who has, on promotion, been transferred to a government school if a similar vacancy should occur under the Authority.
This common pool for promotion has been canvassed by the Union of Primary School Teachers, and the four Authorities are agreeable. The Government Teachers’ Union (GTU) opposes the scheme; but judging by the brief press communiqué in the Mauritius Times on June 12, both the Union as a whole and its guest speaker Andre Bazerque have misunderstood the UPST’s scheme. It is not a common seniority list which is sought; it is a common pool for promotion.
The establishment of such a common pool would afford justice to the Aided school teachers whose opportunity for promotion would be equated with those available to the Government teachers. The GTU and Mr Bazerque have glibly said that justice is on the side of the Government teachers — well, it just isn’t. Justice, which demands that all teachers shall have equal opportunity of getting promotion on the same terms, is on the side of the UPST and its plan.
The second number of the UPST’s Bulletin reports that “inequality of prospects is creating among the Aided school teachers a feeling of dismay which is detrimental to the well-being of the service”. It is vital to the atmosphere inside the schools that the teachers are contented and not in any way disgruntled, smarting under injustice. For too long the Aided School teachers have been unjustly treated in this matter of promotion; let the Government now act to accord them belatedly but welcome justice. Already Aided school teachers enjoy parity with their Government school colleagues in the matter of salaries and entitlement to overseas leave; let them be given parity in this matter of prospects of promotion. That Aided school teachers are not Civil Servants is irrelevant.
6th Year – No 255
Friday 3rd July 1959
In the Civil Service
The following appointments to the Public Service during the week ended 25th June, 1959, are released by the Colonial Secretary’s Office:
Promotions
Mr F. Tranquille, Postal Officer Grade Il, promoted Postal Officer Grade I.
Messrs R. Ramdhanee, P. R. Poilly, G. Dardenne, G. H. Ash, Postal Officers Grade III, promoted Postal Officers Grade II.
Messrs K. Bheekoo and E. Raggoo, Postal Officers Grade III, promoted Postal Officers Grade II.
Mr B. T. Rajcoomar, Prison Officer, promoted Principal Officer Grade II.
Misses M. Pitchen, L. G. Maunick and C. Fok Ning Yaw Sang, Typist-Stenographers, promoted Confidential Assistants.
Mr S. Soobrayen, Messenger, promoted Senior Messenger.
Appointments
Mr K.E. Abraham appointed Temporary Education Officer.
Misses F. B. Kasenally, D. Salaun, N.Nalletamby, L. Bandhan, E, Foondun, N.Noyau and Messrs H. Auliar, A. R. Joomun, L. Jugnauth, A. A.Foondun, C. A Esser, J. Y. Bellepeau, J. R. Deojee, L. Ramrekha, H. Caussy, B. Reesaul, G. P.F. Chadien, Y. Gopaul, M. A. Jawaheer, M. Baguant, J. M. Boribon, E. Lapierre, J. Ng Cheung Hin, Lan Chin Hung, K. Rassou, L. Blackburn, L. R. Travailleur, A. Kiow San, P. G. Jean-Louis, G. N. Fricot, V. Appadoo, A. Yue Chi Ming, appointed Clerical Officers.
Mr A. Banymandhub appointed Assistant Store-Keeper, Telecommunications Department.
Mr M. I. Mowlah appointed Time Keeper, Military Works, Public Works Department.
Mr L. J. Chong Kwan appointed Operator-Typist, Mauritius Broadcasting Service.
Mrs G. Etienne and Miss F. J. Pointu employed as Temporary Typists, Miss N. Chutel appointed Temporary Technical Assistant Grade Il, Mauritius Broadcasting Service.
Acting Appointments
Mr R. Vassoodaven, Accounts Officer, Posts & Telegraphs, to act as Finance Officer Grade I in the same Department.
Messrs M. Mungul, R. Lutchmah, R.F. Arnel, A. H. Mungur, and Mrs S. Rochecouste, 1st Class Teachers, Government Schools, to act as Head Teachers.
Mr E L. Cangy and Mrs M.J.D. Kelly, 1st Class Teachers, Aided Schools to act as Head Teachers.
Analysis of results of the SC exams 1958
Ministerial Statement
“In April last the Honourable Member for Poudre d’Or (Mr B. Ramlallah) asked me to consider, in consultation with the Cambridge Syndicate, the advisability of publishing the percentage of passes scored by every secondary school in Mauritius at the yearly Cambridge School Certificate examinations. I then replied that the University of Cambridge had already been consulted last year in that connection, and basing its views on experience elsewhere, had advised that the percentage results of individual schools should not be published. The matter was then taken up again with the Cambridge Syndicate and l am glad to inform the House that permission having now been received, the percentage results of individual schools will be published.”
Minister of Education
KEY:
A — The schools
B — Number of candidates presented by each school
C — Number of passes
D — Percentage of passes
A B C D (%)
Royal College, Curepipe 60 53 88.3
Royal College, Port Louis 119 75 63.02
Queen Elizabeth College 19 18 94.7
Loreto, Curepipe 32 28 87.5
College du St Esprit 37 29 78.3
St Joseph’s College 40 37 92.5
St Andrew’s School 84 50 59.5
Loreto, Port Louis 61 39 63.9
Loreto, Quatre Bornes 33 27 81.8
Loreto, Vacoas 16 12 75
Loreto St Pierre 8 7 87.5
Loreto, Rose Hill 44 37 84.09
St Mary’s College 10 9 90
New Eton College 97 15 15.4
Trinity College 138 29 21.01
College du Bon et Perpetuel Secours 14 12 85.7
Bhujoharry College 424 92 21.6
Neo College 159 45 28.3
Tutorial College 80 9 11.2
Hindu Girls’ College 17 2 11.7
Islamic Cultural College 35 17 48.5
University College 57 6 10.5
Mauritius College 52 12 23.07
Adventist College 30 9 30
Balliol College 24 2 8.3
Central College 22 3 13.6
Curepipe College 23 – –
Dhanjee College 39 4 10.2
Durham College 12 1 8.3
Eastern College 32 5 15.6
Eden College 35 1 2.8
Grammar School 35 4 11.4
Lycee Leoville L’Homme 23 4 17.3
Magdallen College 20 3 15
Notre Dame School 15 2 13.3
Presidency College 37 2 5.4
Regent College 7 – –
St Helena College 9 – –
Verity College 19 2 10.5
Victoria College 112 7 6.2
Vivekenanda College 9 1 11.1
Windsor College 23 4 17.3
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 10 November 2023
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