● You worked two years for the University of Mauritius as a visiting professor in French between 2003 and 2005. What memories do you have of that period?

I had a very happy experience of tertiary education in Mauritius. Students were talented, very good at languages, hard working and cooperative. They were pleasant and very serious about their work. The only problem is that, when they get to university, they tend to find it very difficult to be independent and think for themselves.

● That?s probably because of bad habits from secondary school?

School students are indeed obsessed with results. I really have a problem with private tuition, for instance, which is a disease in the education system at the moment. I believe that secondary education should be re-adapted to develop all-round citizens to cope with life and solve problems? Have a real philosophy of life and be good citizens. Mauritian schools do not provide that kind of education. So, there is too much of a gap between expectations of first-year students and what they have been taught in school. As a result, the tertiary sector has to do remedial work.

● The university has recently been faced with financial problems...

There is a need for a critical mass of staff funded by the government. Moreover, the government needs forward planning. The UoM, the MGI and other tertiary institutions are struggling because government does not do enough forward planning. We have very good researchers and teachers but all of them have to come to terms with the lack of government planning. If the government is serious about becoming a knowledge hub and is aware that students are the future of Mauritius, then it has to make sure students get high quality education. Government has to find the funds to do this.

● What do you think about the recent proposals by the university concerning larger classes and group dissertations?

Students protested against large classes and they have a right to do so because the customer is always right. I feel sorry for lecturers because it is a step backwards; when you have larger classes, you obviously have less time for individual students. The planning really has to come from the government. It has to decide if education is the key to the future success of the island. If yes, then it has to put the money where its mouth is. If Mauritius is to become a knowledge hub then the government must give resources to people who are trying to educate future generations.

● And what about group dissertations?

I am against the principle of doing initial research in teams. It is not a viable solution because it does not encourage and motivate high-calibre students. A project is an individual thing and it is a real satisfaction to see the project as a whole in the end and feel you?ve done it. Bringing in three people can discourage this kind of enthusiasm. Without even mentioning the assessment, which will be very complex. I was made to understand that it has been postponed for this year but I really believe it should be postponed for ever. It comes back to the problem of resources; it is up to the state to provide the adequate resources.

● Would you be in favour of a fee-paying university?

I work in a country where tertiary education is free but the government is considering the question. When I was in Australia, I remember there was a system of loans granted by the government. All students do not pay fees but, as soon as they start working, they pay their loan back from taxes that they pay. I am in favour of that kind of system rather than one where everyone has to pay ? because, once again, it would favour the wealthy ones. I think the loan system is the fairest one to give access to tertiary education because the idea of free education at tertiary level must gradually disappear.

● The university appears to be faced with a space problem as well?

There is scope for private universities here. If parents can?t afford to send their children overseas and, if the university can?t accommodate all of them, they need to have an alternative. However, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) must make sure quality is there. The new university has to present a strong case of what education it will provide, a swat analysis of resources, the number of students, the types of courses and so on. The case must be assessed by international experts as well. There need to be various stages to go through because there is always a danger that you do not get quality if you are too quick. It has to be a long process before being given the title of university. We could also have an overseas campus here.

● The university is also supposed to do research work but is this actually the case here?

Both at the UoM and the MGI, there is a willingness to do research. Lecturers should have three roles - teaching, doing a bit of administrative work and conducting research. However, they are faced with many obstacles. They have a large number of lecturing hours, few funding possibilities to go overseas for their research. And, even more importantly, there is no atmosphere conducive to the conduct of research.

● What is your general feeling about tertiary education in Mauritius?

I think it is very healthy. But there is a need to see how far the disciplines offered match the needs of employers. I have also noticed a very biased attitude in Mauritius where employers are generally in favour of overseas universities. It is unfair because it would mean that our university is not providing good people. Local institutions need to be encouraged to produce more graduates because the private sector is already suffering from a lack of graduates.

● What would be your definition of education?

In Latin, education is ?educere?, which means to ?lead out?. For me, education should bring out the potential of each individual. The teacher?s role is not just to merely transmit knowledge but also to light up a little candle in each student?s heart. Too often, it?s not the case in Mauritius.