It’s a sad fate but it is reality. The country’s economy is in bad shape. All major macroeconomic indicators signal a gloomy economy. The EU 36% cut in the sugar price, the drop in the balance of payments and in foreign exchange, the rise in unemployment and the decline in investment coupled with unexpected high petroleum prices are signs of utter worry for the population.

Government has come up with its long-awaited package of bold measures to contain the tsunami-threats on the economy. While it is understandable that the government should cater for the population at large, the predominant fact should remain that members of the education family have to join forces to face the drastic cuts in the education budget. Teachers have rarely benefited from past economic booms and should therefore not be made to pay the price.

A united force is the sine qua non condition to achieve a better status. The setting up of a Common Front in the primary sector was a laudable initiative by the president of the Government Teachers’ Union. The return of the president of the GHTU as a member of the Common Front can only be an ‘asset’ for the new team. Those who want to break that unity have only one aim, weaken the new GTU team. The start of the BED Course, the DHT anomalies, the National Curriculum, the shortage of teachers, the NLNS, and the School IT Project should be the focus of the unions.

We are well aware that the workload of general purpose teachers is overwhelming. There is a dire need to lighten the syllabus by shifting some topics or concepts to lower secondary in the context of compulsory education until 16. We opine that a competence-based curriculum better suits our pupils than a knowledge-based one. The world trend today is in favour of Science, Mathematics, English and ICT and they already occupy a prominent place in the existing curriculum.

Concerning the School IT Project, the provision of five computers per school was indeed a very encouraging advancement by the government. However, what about ICT Teachers ? At present there are 233 ICT Teachers for the 275 primary schools. There is an acute shortage of ICT Teachers in our primary schools. ICT Teachers are transferred on a regular basis and most of them work in two primary schools. ICT Teachers are employed on a contractual basis which bears no bond and it is sad to note that many are leaving the job. After following one year’s intensive training at the MIE, ICT Teachers having a working experience of four years in primary schools are leaving for more attractive and secure jobs in other sectors.

Is it not a big loss for the education sector as far as human resources are concerned? Why are they not employed on a permanent basis ? Is it that the ministry intends to make GP Teachers teach ICT in the future ? The ministry must be aware that in other countries technology is integrated into teaching and learning by the class teacher. They use ICT to teach Maths, English etc.

But, in Mauritius, this is not possible for the time-being as most of our teachers only have a basic knowledge of ICT or are simply not IT literate. Adding ICT to the overwhelming workload of GP Teachers would be simply unacceptable. We just hope that the ministry will do its level best to retain those ICT Teachers in the education sector and come up with a proper strategy as far as ICT teaching is concerned.

The bone of contention remains the decision of the ministry not to restore the NLNS allowance. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy was wrongly defined right from the start. We believe that the NLNS should be reviewed and the new time-table should be implemented as soon as possible.

And what to say about the recent nomination of 26 inspectors ? Some headteachers have been promoted as inspectors and they have only some time left before they retire. We can only ask ourselves to what extent they might be useful as inspectors to the education sector for just a few months before they leave the service.

We have faith in the Common Front of the primary sector and we know that our union leaders mean business. The Common Front is assuming its responsibility and is on the battlefield while putting ‘les bouchées doubles’ to achieve results. The days of grandiloquent speeches are long over, honourable minister. Existing problems in the primary sector must be solved in an efficient and effective manner. The ministry must present concrete proposals to achieve a world-class education.

The Common Front should leave no stone unturned to see to it that teachers as builders of the nation are given due consideration by the ministry of Education. And, if it is not the case, the Common Front will have no choice than to have recourse to industrial action. But, in the interest of ‘‘l’enfant mauricien ”, it would be highly desirable that the ministry and the Common Front work in close collaboration for the advancement and promotion of education in our primary schools. For this to happen, we need good communication between the ministry and the Common Front. We are realistic enough to recognise that the minister cannot be blamed for all problems existing in the primary sector. But it is his duty to see to it that his officers are doing their best. Charité bien ordonnée commence par so !So,why not a world –class ministry ?

<B>TEACHERS UNITED </B><I>(G.P ,A.L ,ICT)</I>