Speech of Mr Achim Schaffert, Head of Section, Delegation of the European Union in Mauritius for the workshop on the validation of the Recommendations of the Study on Special Education Needs Domaine Les Pailles Monday 31 October 2011 at 09.30 hrs Hon Dr Vasant Bunwaree, Minister of Education and Human Resources Mrs Aubeelack, Supervising Officer, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Mr Ramlugun, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Dr Shirley Mc Bride, EU consultant and Team Leader Prof Serge Ebersold, EU Consultant Distinguished Guests I am very pleased to be here with you today for this workshop on the special needs in the education sector. It is held in the context of the technical assistance being provided by the European Union to assist the Ministry of Education and Human Resources in implementing its national policy and strategy for the special education needs (SEN) sector. Mauritius is today at a crossroads. It has made enormous progress in diversifying its economy and it has now graduated into a middle-income country. Its development model has received a lot of recognition from the international community. However being a middle income economy does not provide a guarantee for a sustained high growth and equitable economic 1
development. On the contrary, to reach its full potential, Mauritius is confronted with a number of risks and challenges, which are often referred to as the middle income country trap. Countries caught in the middle income trap are unable to compete with low income, low wage economies in manufacturing exports. At the same time, they are not yet fully able to compete with advanced economies. This means that they have to make a timely transition from resource driven growth, based on low cost labor, to another economic model where growth is driven by knowledge and productivity. This is where education becomes crucial, as the success or failure of a country to move out of the middle income trap depends a lot on its human capital. Relevant basic and quality education must be available to all. In higher education, more investment in science and technology education is needed with a view to creating a skilled and innovative work force. These are just some of the challenges facing Mauritius. We are convinced that the Government of Mauritius is fully aware of these challenges, and is bringing about the necessary policy responses in the education sector. I would like to seize the opportunity to congratulate the Government of Mauritius and the Hon Minister of Education for the important reforms which are currently being implemented in the education sector. These are geared, among others, towards innovative techniques in education and aim at fostering the creativity of children from pre-primary to secondary level. Recognising the key role that education plays in the economic development of Mauritius, the European Union has designated the education sector as a priority within the EU-Mauritius development cooperation since 2007. 2
As some of you are aware, the main thrust of the EU grant funding goes towards supporting the economic reform programme being implemented by the Government of Mauritius since 2006. This is mainly done through general budget support, where we disburse EU grants directly into the Government budget against the fulfilment of some key results which have been jointly agreed with the Government of Mauritius. Policy dialogue with the main stakeholders accompanies our budget support and constitutes a key component in our cooperation in Mauritius. Mauritius is eligible for general budget support largely due to the maturity of its institutions and good financial management that allowed for fruitful policy dialogue. So far our general budget support programmes have included five focal areas, namely sugar, energy, socio-economic empowerment, environment and education. I am pleased to inform you that since 2007 our general budget support programmes have contributed to some important achievements in the education sector which have been brought about by the Government of Mauritius. I would like to quote here a few examples, namely; the reduction in the absenteeism rate in the primary sector for children in vulnerable groups; the finalisation, after wide consultation, of the Long Term Strategic Plan for the Education sector, and the increase in the enrolment rate for 3 to 4 years old in the pre-primary schools, with emphasis on the children coming from vulnerable groups. These encouraging results have been made possible because the commitment of the Goverment of Mauritius and all other stakeholders in the education sector who are committed to improving the overall quality and access to education services in Mauritius. 3
Apart from general budget support which is the most flexible aid modality, we are also in a position to mobilise international technical assistance to bridge any knowledge gaps that may exist in the implementation of the economic reform programme. In the past EU based education specialists have provided their views on some strategic documents drafted by the Ministry of Education. We are pleased to offer similar support if there is a demand. At a broader level, the European Union also assists students who wish to complete their studies in European Universities. I am referring here to the Erasmus Mundus programme run by the European Commission in Brussels, where every year scholarships are granted to students for post graduate studies in European universities. The selection process is highly competitive, but I am pleased to inform you that almost every year students from Mauritius are selected for this scholarship. I personally met one Mauritian Erasmus Mundus scholar recently, who was awarded two successive scholarships for post graduate and then doctoral studies. Coming back to the event for which we are gathered here today, and to conclude, I am pleased that the expertise and knowledge of Europe can be brought to Mauritius in the area of special education needs. It is a field where the European Union has significant experience and some best practices that it can share. 4
I know that special education needs is a key priority for the Ministry of Education. I am happy that we could mobilise high calibre professionals to make recommendations to the Government on the way forward in this sector. I trust that together we can work hand in hand to achieve the ultimate aim of making education accessible, equitable and inclusive for all the children of Mauritius. Thank you for your attention. 5