The academia experience at the university of Mauritius is, like many students are aware of, exceptionally different from the one abroad. It?s probably one of the rare universities where most students either shut up or hesitate before voicing out an opinion. I won?t say I am the golden exception, I do the same. When it matters sometimes I keep quiet just because « I don?t feel like it » or because I don?t want to get into trouble.

The recent problems at the university of Mauritius however lead me to believe that it is our right, our duty, to wake up. I won?t dictate students what to do, I do not possess the claim to wisdom. When one sees the things imposed on us in the last weeks, common sense dictates action.

The university experience is supposed to be the one you remember all your life through. The one where you grow up, the one where you get involved, the one where you commit to your beliefs 100 %. It is my belief, and this is shared, that a university cannot possibly demand excellence from its students while providing minimum resources and support. We realise that we are by and large not paying tuition fees and this causes weaknesses in budgets. Despite this, isn?t it surprising that there are suddenly huge holes in the budget so much that we have to suffer horrendous consequences ? Horrendous may seem to some a very strong word but imagine having a 200 student class to deal with. I am thinking here of students, lecturers and teachers who are human after all.

If such a thing happens, our work will worsen, we will have less opportunity for personal research ? please note that for research adequate books and journals actually have to be available ? and the lecturers will have less time for us. We will ultimately go back to learning exactly what we are told and writing it down after learning by heart and the degree obtained will be no different from the SC or HSC certificate. We will go through life without being capable to fend for ourselves ; all we will be able to do is to follow orders, doesn?t matter if those orders are absolute nonsense.

Enrolling more and more students and having no clue what to do with them will not help at all. Does anyone wonder with me how come all those decisions are being taken just a few days from the new academic year ? Is it common practice to delay the resuming of classes for some due to improper management ? I have not travelled to all universities but I really do not believe this is done everywhere.

Another action from the high management now is the probable dissertation in groups. I saw this in the newspapers and I was puzzled for a couple of reasons. Firstly, several universities do not demand dissertations and prefer smaller research projects.

The university of Mauritius demands dissertations, this is fine, it just means the management believes in the aptitude of its students to give in smartly argued and heavy work.

Now, when we come to doing this in a group of two to three students ; it simply ruins everything. There is nothing to add to that. A dissertation is possibly the most personal work a student has to give in. It is for some, even a human experience, and believe me ; I am not being melodramatic when I say that it can also be the most brilliant and beautiful work a student gives in. Imposing this rule on students, violates every rule of pedagogy existing. And for a management who « believes in its students » it leaves you wondering.

So where are the students at ? What are we doing to prevent things like that ? In just about every democratic country, the students are the ones who move society. They voice out what?s wrong ? they do not complain and wait for things to change ; they make things change. We need to get slapped out of our lethargy and get something done. In front of all the problems of this society most of us shut up, but now the problems are happening in the very place we travel to every day. There is no way to escape this.

We can take this as a test ; we get to prove if we really are the elite of this country. Being the supposed elite does not mean accepting everything and striving to do your best, it also means stand up and take action. We are not just blank faces going to classes every day, we are humans with rights and I believe we are being cheated in every way. Anyway what do I know ; I?m only 21, only in my third year at the University of Mauritius, only preparing a 10 000 words dissertation. This sounds familiar ? Yes, all of you students will have to go through that but in an environment where so many unfair things are happening I seriously doubt getting out of university with pride in my degree and in my years there ? especially if I keep quiet.

<B>Jacinthe FLORE, BA (Hons.) English III</B>