Australian poet Mick Leigh arrived in Mauritius by force of circumstances last November. But he believes so much in the potential of Mauritius that he is thinking of staying here for longer than initially expected. He is putting his knowledge of English at the disposal of Mauritian children in private schools ? but would like to extend his voluntary work to state schools in the future. For him, the biggest problem in the education sector is a lack of investment to ?give every child an equal chance to succeed in life?.

?What struck me the most when I arrived in Mauritius was the fact that very few schools had the Internet ? hardly any have computers. In the UK, every child must have a computer. It is unfair that children do not have the Internet because it is such an important source of information and a fun way of learning,? he commented.

He believes that the government should become aware that students are their biggest asset and that they can?t do otherwise than invest in education to move forward ? the more so as these pupils are really ?eager to learn?. Teaching is not the problem, according to him. ?From what I?ve been able to see here, teachers are devoted and want to work but they are frustrated because they are not given the right tools and means to deliver their teaching,? he regretfully added.

Mick teaches creative writing to primary school level pupils. ?And I can assure you that these pupils are clever; they are just from unprivileged backgrounds. But the government must make sure they are giving these children a chance,? he said.

This is just what he is trying to do at his own humble level. ?English is not the best language but, as an international language, it is a very important tool for these pupils? future,? he said. Although he doesn?t know how to speak Creole or French, he has not encountered any difficulty in passing on his knowledge to pupils. ?I use very simple words to make sure they will catch what I want them to remember,? he explained. ?The fact that I make learning fun must help a lot in the communication process,? he added.

Mick Leigh has tried to get in touch with some government officials to try and tell them that he would like to help develop children?s potential but his requests have been in vain so far?