We are going round in circles. Years and governments go by and we always come to the same conclusion. Mauritian students are far from mastering English as they should at the end of secondary school. The recent report of the British Council, submitted to the ministry of Education a few weeks ago, points at the same weakness: the level of English in secondary schools is ?mediocre?. At least 50% of the students chosen for the testing panel (from 11 to 14) do not have a ?sufficient level? in understanding and use of English.

The report pinpoints teaching methodology as the main cause for concern and the main reason for the bleak situation. The reporters make it clear that English is taught as the pupils? native language while this is obviously not the case. It is a fact most children in Mauritius do not speak English every day at home. Neither do they speak fluent English. But the situation becomes even more serious as they do not even have sufficient exposure to the language ? especially through the media. Patricia Day-Hookoomsing, director of CCL management, has never understood why ?English movies are shown in French at the cinema or even on television?.

Even though English is not fully understood by the great majority of Mauritian pupils, it is used as the medium of instruction. With this in mind, it isn?t surprising that English is considered as the main cause of failure. Students do not master the language itself; how can we then expect them to master all other subjects ? taught in English?

The system has been wrong in defining its priorities so far. And the way this is taken over by teachers in class does not appear constructive for pupils according to the British Council. Pupils are often asked to read a text aloud but it is not clear whether they understand what they are reading. Little importance is given to pronunciation and intonation in class while emphasis is laid on language structure. But how useful can this be if a pupil does not understand the meaning of a sentence in English?

What the system actually fails to do is encourage communication skills and creative thinking in pupils. Afjul Aullear, a former English teacher at St Esprit College, believes this is actually the main weakness of the system. ?The main problem is that so much emphasis is put on exam results. Parents want teachers to get their children through their exams and teachers do everything possible to finish the programme. Textbooks and private tuition are everything for them. There is no more room for reading, creativity or the development of critical acumen.?

This indicates that the whole system should be reviewed. The way exams are carried out does not leave room for any creativity. The multiple choice questions or those that require only a one-word answer should be banished from the system. As pointed out by pedagogue Dev Virahsawmy on a private radio, ?up to 20 or 30% of answers can be found merely by chance ? without the children even understanding what is printed on their exam paper?.

<I>English is not only their ticket to obtaining their Higher School Certificate; it is also a necessity for them in order to be able to enjoy a career in the Mauritius of tomorrow where tourism, financial services and ICT are expected to play major roles. </I>

In fact, this is not a matter of changing such or such an aspect of the education system. There should be a consensus on a total reform of the system to make education more accessible to all. Drastic changes are required to improve the levels of children and give them a chance of having a constructive professional life in the future. English is not only their ticket to obtaining their Higher School Certificate; it is also a necessity for them in order to be able to enjoy a career in the Mauritius of tomorrow, where tourism, financial services and information and communication technologies (ICT) are expected to play major roles.

To that effect, English is vital for them and they should be given the desire to learn and a love for the language. ?English can be fun,? stated the former director of the British Council, Rosalind Burford, in an interview to l?express. If students were not taught from the very beginning of their schooling that exams are everything and that school can bring them so much more than a diploma, the results may have been different. The ministry of Education, which considers the report ?worrying?, should really take this into account when it implements its curriculum reform.