Mauritius Institute of Education

AN OVERVIEW OF THE TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
(a) General

The Mauritian Tertiary Education Sector has witnessed major expansion in recent years. Tertiary education which started in 1924 with the College of Agriculture has since developed into a diversified system, composed of public, private, regional and overseas institutions catering for a wide range of courses and programmes.An important national priority is to increase participation in tertiary education from the present Gross Tertiary Enrolment Rate of 19.7% to about 30-35%, an objective which fits within the national strategy of developing Mauritius into a Regional Knowledge Hub and a Centre of Excellence.Tertiary education in Mauritius is characterized by a wide range of institutions with diverse characteristics. Some provide all
levels of tertiary education in a range of disciplines while others focus their activities on only one or two areas at certain levels. A number of the institutions are overseas with their provisions made available through the distance education mode. Within the public sector, tertiary education revolves around the University of Mauritius (UoM), the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE),
the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) and the Mauritius College of the Air (MCA). Overseeing the four tertiary educationinstitutions (TEIs) is the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) which, inter alia, has responsibility for allocating public funds, and fostering, planning and coordinating the development of post-secondary education and training.Two Polytechnics, managed by the Technical School Management Trust Fund (TSMTF) also operate within the public sector. They are namely the Swami Dayanand Institute of Management (ex. Droopnath Ramphul Polytechnic) and the Institut Superieur de Technologie” (ex. Institut Polytechnique de Rose-Hill). The Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) and the Mauritius Institute of Health (MIH) equally dispense tertiary level programmes in selected areas.In addition to the above publicly-funded institutions (PFIs), an estimated 35 private institutions and 50 overseas
institutions/bodies are presently delivering tertiary-level programmes, mostly in niche areas like Information Technology, Law, Management, Accountancy and Finance. A majority of these private institutions operate on a part-time basis, in the evenings, weekends and on some weekdays with relatively small student cohorts. Most, if not all, of the programmes are those of
overseas institutions. These are being offered by franchise agreements whereby the overseas institutions provide programme materials and/or tutorial support. Apart from playing an administrative role, the local partners also provide tutorial support and in certain cases local institutions deliver programmes using exclusively their own resources.The local tertiary education scene also comprises four tertiary education institutions with a regional vocation, namely the University of the Indian Ocean (UIO), the “Institut de la Francophonie Pour L’Entrepreneuriat” (IFE), the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Medical College (SSRMC) and the Mauras College of Dentistry (MCD). The activities of these institutions are geared towards programmes in very limited or specific disciplines.
The provision of tertiary education extends beyond the local tertiary education institutions given that a significant number of Mauritian students either go overseas or resort exclusively to the open learning mode for pursuing their studies.

(b) The Institutions
The University of Mauritius Starting as the College of Agriculture, the UoM, established in 1965, dominates the Tertiary Education Sector locally. Originally, it had three Schools, namely Agriculture, Administration and Industrial Technology. It has since expanded to comprise five Faculties, namely Agriculture, Engineering, Law and Management, Science, and Social Studies & Humanities. It has also a Centre for Medical Research and Studies, a Centre for Distance Education, a Centre for Information Technology and Systems, and a Consultancy Centre. The UoM has undergone rapid expansion over the last decade and is continuing to expand with a student growth rate of about 10% annually. Programmes have changed steadily from sub-degree certificate/diploma levels to undergraduate and taught masters Programmes, as well as research at postgraduate level.University of Technology , MauritiusThe University of Technology, Mauritius (UTM) Act was promulgated in May 2000 and became operational in September 2000. The UTM works closely with government, business and industry and operates from 3 Schools, namely, the School of Business Informatics and Software Engineering, the School of Public Sector Policy and Management, and the School of Sustainable Development Science.

Mauritius Institute of Education

Founded in 1973, the MIE was initially charged with responsibilities in the field of teacher education, research in education and curriculum development. The role of the MIE as a curriculum development centre has over time (1993) been phased out such that it is at present predominantly involved in training teachers and educational research.There are currently 5 Schools at the MIE, namely Applied Sciences, Education, Science and Mathematics, Arts and
Humanities and Distance Education. The programmes have over the years slowly increased in diversity and levels. To-date, it has offered training to school teachers in programme ranging from certificate, diploma and the PGCE. Presently, it also offers B.Ed as well as Masters programmes in Education, in collaboration with the University of Mauritius and the University of

Brighton, UK respectively.
The Mahatma Gandhi Institute

The MGI was established in 1970 as a joint Government of Mauritius – Government of India venture for the promotion of education and culture in general with emphasis on Indian culture and traditions. It has responsibilities, within the tertiary set-up, for running Programmes in such areas as Indian Studies, Performing Arts, Fine Arts, Chinese and Mauritian Studies.The MGI currently has three main schools operating at the tertiary level, namely the School of Indian Studies, the School of Music and Fine Arts, and the School of Mauritian and Area Studies. Since the last few years it has been running, besides diploma and certificate level programmes, degree level programmes in Languages, Fine Arts and Performing Arts, in collaboration with the UoM. A Secondary School and the Gandhian Basic School also operate within the ambit of the MGI.

The Mauritius College of the Air

The MCA was established in 1971 to promote education, arts and science and culture in Mauritius through mass media. When the MCA statute was re-enacted in 1985, distance education was maintained as a major strategy to meet these objectives. Merged with the Audio-Visual Centre of the Ministry of Education and Science in 1986, the MCA has until recently been catering mainly for the primary and secondary education sector through the production of educational programmes for broadcast on radio and television. The MCA has also been producing educational materials for non-formal or continuing education, for non-broadcast use. Since the beginning of 1995, it has been involved in dispensing tertiary level programmes in collaboration with overseas institutions through the distance mode.

The MCA is currently being reconfigured as the Open University of Mauritius.

Rabindranath Tagore Institute

Set up in December 2002, the Rabindranath Tagore Institute has a cultural vocation and operates under the aegis of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute. It is still in an early phase of development.

The Polytechnics occupy a prominent place in the tertiary education landscape in Mauritius. Two of these institutions currently exist in the country. The Swami Dayanand Institute of Management (SDIM) runs diploma level Programmes in Information Technology, Administration and Accounting; such diploma Programmes were formerly provided by the UoM.

Supérieur de Téchnologie (IST) offers diploma level programmes (Brevét de Téchnicien Supérieur) in Electro-Technics, Mecatronics and Building Engineering. All the Programmes are run on a full-time basis.

Plans are currently underway to expand this sub-sector and the creation of Institut de Formation et d'Education Tertiaire in

priority areas.
Technical School Management Trust Fund

The TSMTF was created in 1990 to manage the Polytechnics. It is administered by a Board. Industry Advisory Committees, comprised of representatives of both the public and private sectors, are appointed in respect of each programme that is being run. These committees have responsibilities for: establishing programme objectives, curriculum content and delivery modes;
establishing terminal standards and certification; prescribing training equipment, hardware and software; prescribing training facilities and environment; advising on industrial training attachments; reviewing programme results and diploma holders’ employment performance; monitoring and reviewing market demand; and reviewing and upgrading programmes.With the setting up of Institut de Formation et d'Education the role of the TSMTF may be reviewed.

The Industrial and Vocational Training Board

The IVTB was set up in 1988 to promote vocational education and training with the purposes of supplying a properly trained workforce for the industrial, services and domestic sectors. Most of the programmes that are being run are of a vocational nature leading to the National Trade Certification (levels 3 and 2). However, as from 1998 the IVTB has also started running selected tertiary level programmes at the levels of certificate and diploma in selected areas including Hotel Management,

Automation and Information Technology.

The Mauritius Institute of Health

The MIH was set up in 1989 to cater for the training needs of health professionals, local and regional. As per identified needs it organizes courses and programmes, mostly of short duration for medical and para-medical personnel.

Private Institutions/Distance Education

A number of private institutions and organisations have entered the tertiary education market in the past few years. These institutions, which amount to more than 35, are offering mostly “niche” Programmes in such disciplines as Management, Accountancy and Information Technology. Most of these private institutions are local counterparts of overseas institutions and
are offering programmes ranging from sub-degree to postgraduate ones through a mixed-mode system, encompassing both distance learning and face-to face tutorials. A majority of the examinations are conducted by the Mauritius Examinations

Syndicate (MES) and a few are organised and invigilated by the overseas institutions themselves in collaboration with the local partner. Key players include the DCDM Business School, MALEM, the Mauritius Employers Federation and the Mauritius

Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
University of the Indian Ocean

The UIO, established in January 1998 under the aegis of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), is essentially a network of tertiary education and research institutions of the five member states, namely Comores, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles. It offers tertiary level programmes of a regional vocation in the five member countries. During its three-year pilot
phase, the secretariat of the UIO was based in Reunion. In line with a recent decision, the seat of the UIO will now be a rotating one among member states.

Institut de la Francophonie pour L’Entrepreneuriat

The IFE came into operation in 1999, within the context of an agreement signed between the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research and the “Association des Universités Partiellement ou Entièrement de Langue Française et L’Université des Réseaux d’Expréssion Française”. It offers Masters and Doctoral programmes and undertake research in entrepreneuriat and related fields with a regional vocation.

Sir Seewosagur Ramgoolam Medical College

The SSRMC was created in 1999 and is affiliated to the University of Mauritius. Situated at Belle Rive, it caters for both local and overseas students namely from South Africa, India, Malaysia, Gulf and other Indian Ocean Rim countries. With this development, Mauritian students now have opportunities to pursue their medical studies locally and at much lower cost than they would incur elsewhere. In fact, 20% of seats are exclusively reserved for them on the 5-year MBBS programme.

Mauras College of Dentistry

Mauras College of Dentistry which is managed by the R.F. Gandhi A.K. Trust Limited, is operational since 2003. Affiliated to Bhavnagar University, Gujarat, India, Mauras College of Dentistry, aims to be a key provider of dental education in the region. It

is currently providing the BDS programme.

(II) OVERALL PARTICIPATION IN 2004

Some nine Publicly Funded Institutions are presently offering tertiary-level programmes in the country, five of which operate under the purview of the TEC. They are the UoM, the UTM, the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) and the Mauritius College of the Air (MCA). Another publicly-funded institution, the Rabindranath Tagore
Institute (RTI), also under the purview of the TEC has recently been set up, but has not been covered in the present Report as it has yet to be fully operational. Furthermore, two institutions, namely the Swami Dayanand Institute of Management (SDIM) and the Institut Supérieur de Technologie (IST), managed by the Technical School Management Trust Fund (TSMTF) as well
as the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) and the Mauritius Institute of Health (MIH) dispense tertiary level education.

There is a dearth of statistics from private/distance education providers, operating in the country, owing to a lack of proper and systematic record keeping or where these are available, a reluctance from the operators to make available the information. It is expected that in the future, this situation will be remedied as an overarching regulatory framework for tertiary education has been provided as per the Education & Training (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2005. Pending the implementation of the regulatory framework to oversee the activities of the private institutions and “offshore” providers, which would render the latter more accountable to the TEC in the future, examinations statistics have been used as proxy indicators of tertiary education enrolment in the private sector including “offshore” providers. These statistics emanate mainly from the Mauritius Examinations

Syndicate (MES), which is responsible for organizing and invigilating examinations on behalf of overseas universities and examination bodies nationally, as well as from those private organizations/institutions which, in collaboration with overseas institutions, conduct themselves their examinations. It is worth noting that in 2004, some 63 overseas education bodies were
present locally, of which about 40 had their examinations supervised by the MES. Some 40 private institutions were running tertiary education level programmes.

With regard to information on the number of Mauritian students pursuing higher studies overseas, comprehensive statistics were obtained from the Centre d’Information, de Formation, d’Orientation et de Documentation (CIFOD), attached to the French Embassy, the High Commission of India, the High Commission of Pakistan, the Embassy of the Russian Federation and the South African High Commission. However, with regard to the United Kingdom, which is a major destination for Mauritian students, a new regulation has been in place since 2003, allowing Mauritian students to travel without a visa, which has prevented availability of information from this source. Similar problems exist in respect of some other foreign embassies, like for instance Australia, where no records of Mauritian students are kept. To circumvent this problem, other sources of information have been tapped including the Employees Welfare Fund, the Scholarship Section of the Ministry of Education & Scientific Research and IDP Education, Australia Mauritius. References have also been made to international publications such as the International Students Mobility in the Commonwealth, the Annual Statistics booklets published by Australian Education International on overseas students studying in Australia, and the Institute of International Education which conducts annual statistical survey of international students in the United States of America.