Africa-Press – Mauritius. The project of free pre-primary education forms part of Government’s education reform, which started in 2016, based on inclusion, equity and quality. As such, this project aims to ensure that every child benefits from adequate education in an equitable way, and this will be a reality as from January 2024.
The Vice-Prime Minister (VPM), Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, made this statement, today, during a press conference at the seat of her Ministry in Phoenix.
VPM Dookun-Luchoomun highlighted that this measure will enable every child of the Republic of Mauritius to benefit from two years of pre-primary education before being admitted to Grade 1.
This, she added, will help bridge the gap between children joining Grade 1 from a pre-primary school and those who did not attend a pre-primary institution at all.
She pointed out that her Ministry has been working with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development so as to elaborate ways of financing the project. As such, she stated, a system of granting aid has been devised for all private operators so as to encourage them to join the project.
Furthermore, the VPM observed that the State will take care of the salaries of pre-primary schools’ personnel, as well as the other operational costs incurred by these institutions, provided that some specific criteria are satisfied.
The UNESCO, she observed, recommends that each child benefits from at least one year of pre-primary level education free of charge. She thus stressed that the Mauritian Government is going the extra mile by offering each child two years of free pre-primary education.
VPM Dookun-Luchoomun moreover appealed to all the concerned operators, some 480 in total, to be part of Government’s endeavour which concerns some 23,000 students in the Republic of Mauritius. She also reminded that operators will have the option of joining the project or not.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
