As for the UNDP, their partnership dates from last year after they were asked to make a mid-term review evaluation where they concluded that the project was positive but could still be improved. The ministry was then interested in seeing the proposed corrections implemented and this is how their active partnership started. They are helping the ministry with the training of teachers and head teachers on inclusive pedagogy and community development, the setting up of performance indicators to see how successful these schools have been so far (taking other aspects than CPE results into consideration). “The UNDP is not used to taking part in education projects. But we found the ZEP project really interesting, as it was directly related to reducing poverty through educational achievements,” says Christiano Morabito.

But all these partnerships would not have been of any use if there had not been motivated, enthusiastic teachers and head teachers to lead these schools. Among the factors leading to the decreased performance of four ZEP schools in the last CPE exams, the problems of leadership were crucial, according to the ZEP coordinator. “I must say younger teachers are more interested in working in ZEP schools and it is actually easier to work with them,” says Anif Gurib. Of course, these teachers need determination and motivation but they need to “have their heart set on their job above all.”

Emphasis is put on inclusive pedagogy and activity-based learning in such schools. Teachers need to find innovative and original ways of getting their pupils interested in school, which they might have never taken seriously in view of their private difficulties. “We need to tell ourselves that headteachers must move away from mere school administration and paper work. Today the challenges required of us are to move to a new dimension of school management where learning is not only directed toward better educational programs and services but also toward being more adaptive, innovative, flexible and responsive to the needs of students, stakeholders and the future demands of the country, as well as giving the teaching staff the satisfaction and motivation to excel,” said the minister at the ZEP open day last year.

<B>Simple innovations</B>

This is what Shireen Dooreemeeah, a teacher at Barkly government school, has done in her school. She is using the experience gained when she was awarded a Comonwealth Professional Fellowship in Education Leadership in the UK to benefit her pupils. She uses an innovative technique where the physical environment has a significant impact on pupils’ learning. Making them move from their desks and sit on a carpet makes them keener on learning, according to the teacher.

Simple innovations such as this or decorating the classroom to create a pleasant environment are certainly helpful. And this also seems to be an integral part of the job, as these children have usually grown up in a poor environment where little importance has been given to their academic performance. All this is actually taken into consideration in the training sessions of these teachers. “Training is delivered by the UNDP, members of the Mauritius Institute of Education and the Mauritius College of the Air,” says Anif Gurib. “Very often, even teachers who were not very keen on teaching in ZEP schools at first would not change after a few months there.”

<B>A nature corner in the classroom</B>

The UNDP has launched an environment project in different schools but wants to put special emphasis on ZEP schools. Six of these schools in the north are concerned by this project at the moment but the UNDP intends to go even further. It has created, with the collaboration of Reef Conservation Mauritius, an environment corner which enables a whole lot of work to be done with children. “It is a way of awakening the child’s interest in the environment by taking care of plants,” says Pamela Bapoo-Dundoo of the UNDP. They take care of plants or work on images and posters on the sea environment. “We’ve realised that ZEP schools take particular advatage of such projects because it allows them to learn through innovative activities,” she adds.

<B>“I devise my own strategies to win over these children”</B>

■ <B> For how long have you been teaching in a ZEP school?</B>

I've been teaching for 27 years now and since 1999 I've been teaching in the Special Supporting Schools which were not known as ZEP Schools at that time. Since 2003, I have been among the few who have volunteered to work in a low achieving school namely the ZEP school catering for children coming from a poor economic background due to poverty and broken homes.

■ <B>Do you enjoy your job there? Is it more rewarding than in other schools? Why?</B>

The job is more rewarding in a ZEP School because one has to iput one’s whole heart into to make it work. A teacher will not be able to make a lot of money there. But at the end of the day when you realise that some pupils or even one pupil has learned to read or write -this is the reward each teacher in the ZEP School should be looking for.

■ <B>Are teaching methods different in a ZEP school compared to a traditional one? Tell me more about the methods you use every day...</B>

I enjoy my job in the ZEP Schools as it is a challenging one. I have to devise my own strategies to win over these children as they come from poor socio-economic backgrounds and mostly from broken homes. If you are in a five star school-the work will definitely be different. The expectations of parents, teachers and the Ministry are different.

I am always experimenting on new teaching and reading techniques. These new strategies for example using newspapers cuttings to help children learn to read and write are yielding positive results. I can state that even pupils who have left school are still interested in poems and drama. I have always encouraged my pupils to participate in extra curricular activities especially in relation to child development such as the Magic Pencil Exhibition held by the British Council. In fact, my pupils have taken part in drawing, poetry and sports competitions and one has been rewarded by a Gold Medal for the cross-country.

The Head Teacher has been encouraging members of the staff to move pupils into different learning ability groups. If they swap classes for particular activities lessons that they feel they are very good at, others could benefit as well.

■ <B>Would you say that the ZEP project has been fruitful? </B>

The ZEP Project has been fruitful in the long term.There are many teachers who are doing a very good job at raising the standards of their schools.What the Government has put in place to support the ZEP Schools is enormous. I would like to go a long way to train parents so that they become more interested in their wards’ progress. There is an elevated level of illiteracy among parents as well as a high level of absenteeism at school.