PISA’s Uncomfortable Warning

Editorial

Why Mauritius Must Rethink Its Classrooms for Tomorrow’s Economy

Mauritius has spent decades congratulating itself, with some justification, on the achievements of its education system. From a relatively modest starting point, the country built a broad-based education structure, expanded access and produced generations of professionals who helped transform the economy. Education was one of the great instruments of social mobility and economic development. But the latest PISA findings should force us to ask a more uncomfortable question: is the education system that served Mauritius reasonably well in the past still capable of preparing the country for the future it now wants? The answer, judging from the performance of our 15-year-olds, cannot be reassuring.

The picture is not entirely bleak. Mauritian students demonstrate qualities that should not be underestimated. Some 82% say they are curious about many things, compared with 73% in OECD countries, while 75% say they make greater efforts when confronted with difficulties, compared with 60% in the OECD. These are valuable attributes. Curiosity and perseverance are precisely the qualities a modern economy needs. Yet the paradox is striking: we appear to have curious and persistent young people whose educational performance does not adequately reflect that potential.

Only about 44% of Mauritian students attain the minimum proficiency level in mathematics, compared with 65% across the OECD. In reading, only 48% reach the baseline level. In science, the situation is somewhat better, with around 60% achieving basic proficiency. But at the highest levels, the gap is even more revealing: only about 1% of Mauritian students reach Levels 5 or 6 in mathematics, compared with 8% in the OECD, while almost none do so in reading. This is not merely an education statistic. It is an economic warning.

Our future ambitions

The Mauritius of tomorrow cannot compete primarily on low labour costs, favourable geography or traditional services. Our future ambitions increasingly revolve around knowledge-intensive activities: artificial intelligence, fintech, cybersecurity, biotechnology, advanced financial services, digital businesses, engineering, research, innovation and higher-value professional services. All of these sectors require people who can do more than remember information and reproduce it in an examination. They require individuals capable of analysing unfamiliar problems, interpreting complex information, questioning assumptions, working with data, distinguishing fact from opinion, communicating clearly and developing solutions that do not already exist. These are precisely the skills that PISA is designed to test.

The implications therefore extend far beyond the classroom. If Mauritius produces too few young people capable of operating at the highest cognitive levels, we may eventually face a serious contradiction between the economy we aspire to build and the human capital we are producing to build it. We cannot seriously proclaim Mauritius an emerging AI hub while allowing weaknesses in mathematics, reading comprehension and analytical reasoning to persist. AI specialists tell us that artificial intelligence does not eliminate the need for human intelligence; in many respects, it raises the premium on it. The ability to formulate the right question, assess the reliability of an answer, identify bias, interpret data and exercise judgement becomes even more important when machines can generate information instantly.

Indeed, the findings on reading deserve particular attention in the age of AI. The decline of sustained reading cannot simply be dismissed as a generational change. Digital technology has enormous educational potential, but there is a difference between accessing information and understanding it. If students increasingly rely on summaries, instant answers and AI-generated material without learning to compare sources, infer meaning and construct an argument themselves, they may become more efficient at producing answers while becoming weaker at thinking independently. That would be a dangerous trade-off.

Learning trajectories and weaknesses

The issue, however, should not be reduced to blaming students or technology. The findings presented by educators, as reported by local papers, point to a deeper systemic problem: we may not be identifying and addressing learning difficulties early enough. If a child begins falling behind in primary school and the problem is only recognised years later, intervention becomes considerably more difficult. A sophisticated education system needs reliable points of diagnosis throughout a child’s journey. It needs to know not merely who is failing, but why, when the difficulty began, what intervention was attempted and whether that intervention worked. This is where data should become an ally rather than a bureaucratic burden.

Mauritius needs an education system capable of following learning trajectories, identifying weaknesses early and allowing teachers, schools and policymakers to respond intelligently. The Mauritius Institute of Education and other relevant institutions should have the capacity to analyse educational data systematically—not to label children, but to understand where the system is failing them.

The contrast between science and mathematics is also instructive. Since 2010, science performance has improved significantly, while mathematics has declined. If certain teaching approaches—greater interaction, experimentation and inquiry—are helping students engage more effectively with science, the obvious question is why comparable methods cannot be adapted more extensively to mathematics, languages and other disciplines.

This brings us to the teachers. Experienced educators are of the view that curriculum reform without sustained teacher development is unlikely to deliver the desired transformation. Asking teachers to implement new curricula, integrate digital tools and adopt more inquiry-based approaches without continuous professional support is unrealistic. A one-off training session cannot prepare educators for a changing educational environment. Teacher development must therefore become a permanent feature of the system.

But there is another dimension that deserves attention: excellence. Education policy cannot be concerned exclusively with ensuring that struggling students cross a minimum threshold. That is essential, but insufficient. A country seeking to become a regional centre for technology, finance, research and innovation also needs an educational system capable of identifying and nurturing exceptional talent.

The fact that only around 1% of Mauritian students reach the highest mathematics levels should concern us as much as the number failing to achieve basic proficiency. We need to help the child who is struggling to read, while simultaneously giving the exceptionally capable student the opportunity to advance much further. We need better remedial support, but also stronger mathematics, science, coding, research, debate, entrepreneurship and problem-solving opportunities for those capable of excelling.

Social dimension

There is also a social dimension. Absenteeism and bullying, both highlighted in the PISA findings, remind us that academic performance cannot be separated from the environment in which children learn. Nearly three in ten Mauritian students reported missing at least one day of school during the two weeks preceding the test, while a similar proportion reported experiencing bullying several times a month or more. A child who is disengaged, absent or bullied cannot be expected simply to perform better because the curriculum has changed.

The PISA results should therefore not trigger another round of superficial debate about rankings. Nor should they become an excuse for attacking teachers, parents or students. They should be treated as a diagnostic instrument—a warning that gives Mauritius an opportunity to correct course.

The country has ambitious plans for AI and the digital economy. It wants to attract investment, develop high-value services, strengthen research and innovation and remain competitive in a rapidly changing global economy. But every one of those ambitions ultimately depends on people. Buildings can be constructed. Technology can be imported. AI platforms can be purchased. Foreign investors can be attracted with incentives. But a sustainable knowledge economy cannot simply be imported. Its foundations have to be built inside the education system.

The Mauritius of 2040 is being shaped in today’s classrooms. If managed correctly, the natural curiosity and perseverance of Mauritian students can become a key national asset. If ignored, today’s educational shortfall will manifest tomorrow as low productivity, skills shortages, and economic stagnation.

The core lesson of PISA is not that Mauritius has failed, but that it is not properly preparing its children while planning for tomorrow.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 11 September 2026