Taking a highly respected English teacher aside for a conversation after a Parent- Teacher Association meeting the other day, a parent, quite disturbed, asked about the poor performance of his son in General Paper (GP). Yet, he pointed out, the boy had scored a distinction in his School Certificate (SC) English. Instantly, the teacher explained there is a big difference between SC English and GP: the SC Composition is generally descriptive or narrative while the GP essay is essentially argumentative or expository where each paragraph has to be stuffed with references as supporting evidence for its logical development. Thus, with the available publications and looking up on the Inter-net, the Overseas News bulletin compiled by the Govern-ment Information Service remains by far one of the most reliable sources of reference to excel in the G.P essay, emphasised the experienced teacher.

All throughout the G.P essay, the candidate has to give examples, facts and figures, illustrations - references to develop his/her points in the paragraphs. The G.P essay is in no way story-telling.

“Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts. Facts alone are wanted in life,” writes Charles Dickens. Because teachers are hard-pressed for time and other factors, students have to collect their own relevant facts to be evidenced in the sound development of the paragraph.

For topics related to Mauritius and the region, material can be pooled from local publications – newspapers, magazines, bulletins, fact sheets, journals, reports from banks, ministries and organisations both private and public, master plans, white papers from vital sectors of the economy among others will be of considerable help for gathering facts.

As regards subjects of current international interest, students have a wide choice of reading material. But their time is limited: they have to concentrate on their core subjects and other matters. As such, they cannot spend their time going through the news magazines and other publications to be had in libraries and elsewhere. Some are not even within their reach.

However, many are the students who know the importance of Overseas News Service - Reuters and Agence France Presse, the two leading news agencies of both the English and French speaking world. Eclectic as the news bulletin is in nature, it is for them a convenient source of information to pick up facts and figures for inclusion in their GP essay. Not a few students and readers in general were earlier taking advantage of its home delivery when the annual subscription was Rs 600/- postage free. But the recent introduction of postal charges along with its gradual increase has raised it to around Rs 4,500. It is now so high-priced that it has become prohibitive to almost all parents and students. If a handful of them feel badly in need of it, they may subscribe to it for a month or so before their exams and not more.

It is then evident that the Overseas News compiled by the Government Information Service is indispensable to GP students. Here no one can pretend to ignore the strength of GP for their career both for seeking admission to universities, job prospects and promotion later. For the world-class education the Government is aiming at, the Overseas News can for sure help pave the way. An appeal is made to the authorities concerned to bring down or even waive the postal charges, thereby making it affordable. It will prove a boon to all students.

<B>By Kaviraj SOHUR</B>