The visit of Unesco director general, Koïchiro Matsuura, centred on the early years of settlement in Mauritius. He was here for the regional launching of the International Year for Commemoration of the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition.

The key word was remembrance. The director declared that the stamp of African culture on other cultures and civilizations was huge. According to him, all cultures are mixed and it would be absurd to set one against the other. He added that no civilization could pretend not to have been enriched by contact and cultural exchange at the time of slavery.

Koïchiro Matsuura also made it clear that Le Morne and Aapravasi Ghat could not both be enrolled on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites this year. He explained that only one site could be presented at a time. The long process to include the two sites seems to have come to a standstill. Yet, government looked very determined to enroll both on the UNESCO list.

The inclusion of both sites looked promising. Two UNESCO representatives came to Mauritius last year to prepare a preliminary list of sites to be considered as World Heritage. Le Morne and Aapravasi Ghat were both on the list. As they are important symbols of our history and cultural heritage, the question of choosing had never been raised before.

Le Morne Mountain was a refuge of Mauritian maroons or fugitive slaves. It still remains the symbol of their struggle for freedom and their refusal of colonial domination.

Aapravasi Ghat, which means landing place of immigrants, was a depot for labourers who arrived in Mauritius to work on the sugar plantations. The site witnessed the arrival of immigrants from Asia and Africa.

The choice seems thus quite complicated for the government since both sites are of significant importance to Mauritian patrimony. The minister of Culture, Motee Ramdass, admits: ?It is a very difficult issue in a country like ours!? How will government overcome the fear of offending one group or another in order to do homage to the history of our country?

<B>Kreol : real will or political gimmick?</B>

The visit of Koïchiro Matsuura has also benefited the field of education. UNESCO will finance a project aimed at achieving quality education for all primary school children. Combating high failure and repeat rate in the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) examination, as well as coping with the large number of under-performers, is a national priority. The use of Kreol as medium of teaching is believed to be one of the most important means of ?improving pupils? performance and achievement?. So, the minister of Education, Steven Obeegadoo, has submitted a general policy paper on Kreol in education to Cabinet. The document makes it clear that the use of Kreol in education has only a pedagogical aim and should not be perceived as an ethnic initiative. The minister has however highlighted that no concrete decision would be made without parents? support and teachers? participation. Government has often given the impression that it was dealing with the issue but Kreol as a medium of teaching has until now remained at project-stage. This time, however, it seems there is a real will to implement the use of the mother tongue of the majority of children in education. Let us hope it is not just a political gimmick.