Two Educational Reforms

Mauritius Times – 70 Years

By Peter Ibbotson

Recently, I urged in these columns that the time is ripe for the introduction of compulsory primary education. I propose that attendance at school be made compulsory for all children from the age of 5 to 12. Furthermore, I suggest that those who go on to a government or aided secondary school should be required to stay in school until at least the age of 15.

In England and Wales, it is compulsory for children to stay in school until the end of the term in which they reach the age of 15. The Labour Party’s manifesto for the recent general election promised that a Labour government, if elected, would make it compulsory for children to stay until the end of the school year in which they turn 15. At the end of last year, a government committee (headed by the distinguished economist Sir Geoffrey Crowther, after whom the committee’s report has been named) recommended that the upper limit of compulsory school attendance be raised to 16 years by 1970.

What are the reasons for this recommendation? In the Crowther Report, we read that “the country cannot afford to let so much talent go unutilised at a time when industry demands greatly increased skill and knowledge, especially in the face of the tremendous efforts being made by other countries to develop their human resources.”

Supporting this statement, Sydney Tremayne pointed out in the Daily Herald that in most of the 50 states of the USA, the school-leaving age is already 16; and seven out of ten American children actually stay in school for full-time education until the age of 18. In England, only one child out of every ten receives full-time education until that age. The plan in the Soviet Union to provide all children with full-time education until the age of 18 is gaining momentum; even without such provision, Tremayne noted, “the quality and intensity of Russia’s scientific and technical education is outstripping and frightening the Americans.” He added that France and the Federal Republic of Germany make far better use than the UK of their children’s talents and abilities.

The wastage of talent concerns many educationalists. Half of the children in England and Wales leave school at 15, yet many of these are just as bright and talented as those who continue their education. If we continue to waste our talented youngsters, we risk Britain failing to remain a world power. This is a fiercely competitive world of scientific advancement and growing complexity. Other countries threaten to surpass Britain simply because we neglect to make the best use of our most priceless asset: our children.

Similar arguments apply in Mauritius. Because there is no compulsory primary education, it is likely that capable minds are going to waste. Due to the current organization of secondary education and the awarding of scholarships, it is even more probable that good brains are being wasted at the post-primary stage.

Both forms of wastage can and must be avoided. Wastage at the primary school level can be prevented by introducing compulsory education up to the age of 12. While there is almost complete enrolment of under-twelves, there are means to enforce attendance. In England and Wales, school attendance officers are responsible for following up on children reported as absent from school; penalties are imposed on parents who fail to ensure their children’s attendance. Let us implement compulsory attendance in Mauritius.

The second form of wastage at the secondary stage can be addressed by revising the current system of awarding scholarships to secondary schools. When Mr. Nichols drafted his report on secondary education a dozen years ago, he criticized the scholarship system and suggested that government secondary schools could be run similarly to the UK’s direct grant grammar schools. In these schools, in exchange for a state subsidy, at least a quarter of the children must be admitted without payment of fees, and a local education authority can request that as many as half the available places at a direct grant grammar school be set aside for pupils without payment of fees. The remaining spots are filled by fee-paying students whose fees are determined by their parents’ income. There is a maximum fixed fee; however, actual fees operate on a sliding scale.

I do not propose that all secondary schools in Mauritius be organized in this way. What I am suggesting, however, is that steps should be taken to ensure that scholarships to secondary schools are awarded to children whose parents cannot afford to pay the fees, but who, nonetheless, are found (by the scholarship examination) to deserve a grammar school place. Currently, scholarships are awarded to the children who score highest, regardless of their parents’ financial situation. Consequently, many children receive scholarships whose parents could easily afford a fee-paying place, while many deserving children from low-income families are denied a secondary school education because they are not awarded scholarships.

What we want to see is a system in which scholarships are granted to children of proven ability who would otherwise miss out on a secondary education. Any reform of the scholarship system should also ensure that scholarships are awarded only to children whose primary education has been received at government or aided primary schools. Currently, some parents send their children to private fee-paying primary schools to prepare them for secondary school scholarships. This practice is indefensible; it uses financial means, rather than a child’s ability, to determine their future.

When the economic commission visits Mauritius, it will include Mr. Houghton, deputy educational adviser at the Colonial Office. He is Sir Christopher Cox’s second-in-command, and Sir Christopher is very familiar with Mauritius and its issues. I hope that, despite the aftermath of Alix—which will take many months to resolve in the short term, and many years in the long run—many people will convey to him their support for these two proposals:

1. To introduce compulsory education, initially at the primary level.
2. To revise the secondary school scholarship arrangements.

The Minister of Education has already gained the support of many through his actions regarding private candidates and the School Certificate. Many people will support him in advocating for these two reforms I have outlined. Therefore, it is up to the public to express their views to the Secretary of State’s representative. In the current state of constitutional development in Mauritius, the Colonial Office’s opinions can still influence proposed reforms, as demonstrated by the British Guiana contretemps in 1953.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 25 October 2024