Mauritius

Since Mauritius gained its independence from Britain in 1968, its educational system, which is based upon the British model, has seen several upgrades. Primary and secondary education in the eastern African nation have been free to all residents since 1976; higher education became free in 1988.

The government runs 34 of the nation's 134 secondary schools, while religious organizations, including the RCEA and the Hindu Education Authority, oversee most of the remaining 100 schools. Enrollment grew to 95,448 students in 2000. The student-teacher ratio is 19:1. Students who choose not to attend a general secondary school may enroll in technical and vocational programs offered at 25 schools; the student-teacher ratio at those institutions is 16:1.

The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development oversees all support provided to educational institutions. Mauritius spent 14.9 percent of government total recurrent expenditure on education in 2000. As authorized by the Mauritius Research Council, national educational research is conducted in four areas: teacher education, multicultural issues, special education, and curriculum.

In 1995, a total of 17.8 percent of the population was deemed illiterate. Five government organizations and 51 nongovernment organizations offer literacy training to all age groups.

The educational policies and practices of Mauritius will likely remain closely tied to the nation's economic development. With legislation underway for the creation of a University of Technology and many education officials calling for the increase of mandatory education from six to nine years, the primary, secondary, and tertiary educational systems of the nation may undergo considerable changes early in the twenty-first century.