The number of reactions is increasing. The pro-reform campaigners are grouping together and coming to the forefront to defend the new method of admission in Form I while the ?anti-reformers? continue to denounce what they believe is an injustice. More than a week after the cabinet announced the implementation of the new admission system for this year, the debate has become more and more impassioned on both sides. A simple click on the new website, www.gokhool.com will prove this to be so. Both sides seem to naively believe that the other will finally give up the fight?

Presence, an association set up after the decision to introduce the A+ grading for the Certificate of primary education (CPE) exams, is ?having several meetings with the population to make them more aware of the Gokhool reform and explain it to them,? stated its spokesperson, Mario Jolicoeur. Another platform grouping pedagogues, primary and secondary school teachers as well as university lecturers is being set up. Its main aim is to promote pedagogy within education.

A citizens? movement also held a debate at the end of the week that gathered 700 people. Former president of the Republic, Cassam Uteem, university lecturer, Arnaud Carpooran, a teacher from St Esprit Case Noyale college, Marjorie Desvaux, former head teacher, Hervé Sylva and a psycho-sociologist, Mélanie Vigier de Latour, all tried to make those present aware of the dangers of the reform. They made it clear they would mobilise the biggest number of people to protest against this change; but the main aim of the movement is to find ways of reducing the failure rate in the CPE. According to them the abolition of Gokhool?s reform is only one way of achieving this.

The opposition has already warned the minister of Education that it will not hesitate to go to court if the counter-reform becomes reality. Both opposition parties, the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) and the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), have expressed their firm disagreement with it. They intend to hold meetings in different areas of the island to make people aware of the dangers of the reform.

They are even considering starting a legal suit in the Supreme Court to stop the course of events and prevent the reform from being implemented this year but no final decision has been taken to that effect yet. The State Law Office (SLO) had recommended that the government give one calendar year as advance notice before implementing the new system: as it did not abide by this recommendation, the opposition might base its action on this issue.

Opposite the anti-reformers, the defenders are also getting ready. Platform A+ is made up of six primary school trade unions, who have got together to defend the Gokhool reform since ?it will help children to develop a culture of hard work?. Participants in the platform want to make it clear that there is no discrimination against any children in the new system. They intend to organise meetings throughout the island to make people realise that the reform is actually positive for children, as it ?aims at giving more value to the Certificate of Primary Education and restoring parity between state colleges and private schools?.

But teachers and education stakeholders are not the only ones to have taken a stand on the reform. About twenty socio-cultural associations have got together in a common front to support the Gokhool reform and make sure it is implemented. ?This was mentioned in the government?s manifesto. The latter is only implementing its promise.? Members of the common front oppose most voices heard so far; they argue that the reform will ?bring more justice to all children of the primary sector?.

The debate has definitely moved from the political scene to the public at large. It seems hard to believe that a consensus will be found in this tense atmosphere. But education has at least the merit of awakening the feelings of citizenship of many Mauritians who have decided to take part in the debate. Actions from citizens are expected to support or castigate the reform and this is positive in a democracy as long as the main aim remains the best interest of children.

<B>When Gokhool gets hot under the collar...</B>

After long weeks of silence, the minister of Education finally spoke during the weekend to clarify his reform in front of the press. As it contained many unclear points, this conference was much awaited. Dharam Gokhool seized the opportunity to have it out with some journalists present for their newspaper had dared criticise the reform. Before flying off the handle, the minister explained that the Mauritius Examination Syndicate (MES) would allocate seats in all national colleges to all students obtaining between 360 (4x90 points in each subject) and 400 points (4x100). Hence the 1,260 seats will be given to those with the best results. If there are more than 1,260 students obtaining between 360 and 400 points, then the difference will be reduced (which means the 360 points will be increased) until the number of available seats is reached. However, the minister could still not say clearly how the MES will decide which student would go to which college.