Africa-Press – Mauritius. The abolition of the 50% subsidies on School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) exam fees seems to be forcing the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) to move towards making the system more “Mauritian”.
Now that exam fees are about Rs 10,000, the preparation of exam papers and marking of scripts locally may help reduce costs for parents. But MES director, Lucien Finette, has already warned that the system will never be entirely Mauritian.
He nevertheless appears in favour of having a larger number of SC papers corrected in Mauritius. Since parents have realised that they must pay about Rs 10,000 in exam fees for their children, many have started protesting to make the government change its plans.
However, the minister of Education made it clear in Parliament that the government would not compromise on this issue. The cabinet confirmed it last Friday even though it agreed to help some parents under certain conditions.
The MES appears more in favour of a Singapore-like system where the diplomas are delivered jointly by Cambridge and the local institution for the SC. Although it appears clear that the government can’t keep on subsidising exam fees – as it is itself in a difficult financial situation – there was a need to find ways of reducing the exam fees.
Making SC and HSC exams more Mauritian appeared as one of the best solutions. The MES appears more in favour of a Singapore-like system where the diplomas are delivered jointly by Cambridge and the local institution for SC.
Although the system can’t be entirely replaced, Lucien Finette believes the change will start occurring within the next two or three years. As from next year, he hopes to increase the number of papers marked in Mauritius.
At the moment, scripts for 16 subjects are marked locally. Likewise, the MES is starting to take the necessary steps to prepare the curriculum jointly with Cambridge.
“Cambridge will continue to guarantee the international standard of the new SC,” Lucien Finette clarifies.
In fact, one of the main reasons why SC exams are not entirely “Mauritian” is because it would cost too much. Mauritius is too small to make it profitable.
It would require too much money, logistics and competences that are not always available or keen on marking the papers. “Cambridge has offered the best package so far.
I do not have enough resources to ensure the same service,” comments the MES director. Such a joint system would be a win-win situation for all stakeholders.
The MES plans consultations with all those involved in the sector to make sure they take part in the changes. Cambridge has agreed to act as consultant to make sure that international criteria for equivalence are respected.
But, if all this is true for the SC, the HSC will not be subject to any changes. There is too much money at stake. Large amounts in terms of scholarships are involved and people must be confident that the system is safe.
Cabinet finds new ways of helping parents Last Friday, the cabinet confirmed that the government would meet the full cost of exam fees only for students whose parents’ monthly income is under Rs 7,500.
The government will also grant 50% aid to students living in a household where two or more students are sitting for SC or HSC exams provided the monthly income of the household does not exceed Rs 10,000.
For those earning between Rs 7,500 and Rs 10,000, the government is making arrangements with banking institutions for access to finance at preferential rates to pay for SC and HSC examination fees to be repaid over a period of 18 to 24 months. The minister also made an appeal to private companies, asking them to see how they could help their employees face these fees.
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