Exchange of students between schools of different countries are becoming an increasingly regular feature. Since the beginning of this month, at least three secondary schools have welcomed pupils from foreign schools to take part in their daily lives at school and at home. Mauritius College, St Joseph’s College and Le Bocage International School (LBIS) have accepted to share this enriching experience that they would wish all schools to discover.

“This year, we chose the ‘Discovery and practice of jobs in our respective islands’ as the theme for the exchange with St Michel College of Reunion,” says the rector of St Joseph’s College, Serge Ng Tat Chung. This is not by any means the first exchange programme between these two schools and the rector does not intend to stop there. For him, these programmes are a “tool of education and training for all participants”. Pupils of St Joseph’s, who are hosting 17 pupils from Reunion with three teachers, are just delighted to make new friends and learn from each other’s differences.

<I>“The time will come when Mauritian pupils will go and visit their new school friends in their respective countries. As the number of participants is obviously limited, there is a selection process”.</I>

Rajiv Roy, rector and manager of Mauritius College, perfectly agrees with that analysis. His school has been involved in such activities for at least 15 years with schools in Reunion, South Africa and India, and he is currently hosting a visit of ten pupils and two teachers from the Delhi Public School – Vasant Kunj of India. “There is no book to teach tolerance and solidarity. Such values should be inculcated through activities and exchange programmes are among these. Such exchanges are a way of opening up our pupils and ourselves to other cultures. The values of tolerance and generosity that go with them may hopefully help build a more fraternal Mauritius in the future.”

It is the same for Riad Rojoa, a former teacher at LBIS, who accompanied the ten pupils from Dhirubhai Ambani International School where he is working now. “The idea behind this exchange programme was to encourage an exchange of ideas, interaction and communication. Furthermore, it helped to give to the Ambani students an idea of how life is within Mauritian families.”

Both Serge Ng Tat Chung and Rajiv Roy believe that these exchanges are part of the school’s mission that is not only to provide children with academic knowledge but also help them gain tools for living together. “This is one of the four pillars identified by Unesco a few years ago,” says Rajiv Roy. For the rector of the St Joseph’s, “the children learn through contact with others and gain in maturity by understanding differences. This is, I believe, one of the qualities that a Mauritian citizen should have”.

Such programmes are actually “a way of enriching pupils without the usual constraints of the classroom with desks and blackboard. They are enriched by the presence of others and learn about others’ interests,” says Serge Ng Tat Chung. “The school immediately appears more attractive,” he adds.

The time will come when Mauritian pupils will go and visit their new school friends in their respective countries. As all pupils are interested in going but as the number of participants is limited, there is a selection process. Most schools rely partly on the performance of pupils but, above all, on their motivation. At Mauritius College, “pupils have to tell us what contribution they intend to make to the programme. They should not believe that they will be mere tourists there”.

The programme includes different parts including tourist visits. Pupils take part in the daily life at school and attend a number of classes. As for the Indian students at Mauritius College, for instance, they are given an initiation to French. At St Joseph’s, the pupils are presently following courses in English, communication, arts and crafts. Moreover, they visit sites from which they can learn something like Pamplemousses Garden, a model ship factory or the Hotel School.

Visiting the country is also part of the trip including tourist areas such as Caudan Waterfront, Ile-aux-Cerfs and Casela, to mention a few. The pupils of Ambani also saw the “darker” side of Mauritius with a visit to “SOS Pauvreté” and their attendance at a special ceremony to mark the Children’s Rights week, as Dishina Wootun Meeheelaul from LBIS relates. And the programme will be similar when Mauritian pupils go to their host-schools.

Rajiv Roy firmly believes that trips abroad are a way for pupils to build self-confidence. “Being alone in a foreign country and having to manage a budget and a timetable is part of the organisation skills they will acquire.”

How much does it cost?</B>

“I personally believe that this exchange programme has broadened my views. At a certain point I realised that two countries should not be compared as they both had their own advantages and disadvantages. More importantly, I am enjoying this event as I am making new friends. Exchange programmes should be more encouraged by schools. But of course it depends on the resources the school has,” said Sukriti from Ambani school just before leaving Mauritius. She actually pointed at one of the main problems of these exchanges; they cost quite a lot. “Rs 125,000 a year,” for Mauritius College where each pupil must pay 80 % of the air ticket while the rest of the trip is covered by the school. At St Joseph’s, the school – thanks to the collaboration of the Parents’ Teachers’ Association and the Old Boys – covers all the fees. But, according to Rajiv Roy, such programmes are so enriching for pupils that “the ministry of Education should reflect on setting up a special fund for this purpose”.

<B>St Joseph’s and St Michel College,Reunion, give a chance to prevoc students</B>

This year, both of these colleges chose to give the opportunity to their prevocational pupils to take part in the exchange programme. This is why they chose the theme ‘Discovery and practice of jobs in our respective islands’. “The Mauritian pupils have failed the Certificate of Primary Education on two occasions and are doing their last year here at school before going to the IVTB or joining the labour market,” the rector of St Joseph’s explains. Most of them come from a poor background and might not have a chance of travelling. Moreover, “we want to give them the most complete education we can,” he adds. The programme of activities has been specifically designed to suit all of these pupils - visits to factories, the IVTB and the Hotel School in addition to the more traditional sites.

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