International Conference at MIE- Conférence internationale au MIE - Keynote address & Summary of papers

Summary presented here are at random and in no order of importance

Anita Curpen (Mauritius) and Katrina Miller (UK) raised issues of Coloniser and Colonised relationship in the M.A. Education programme jointly offered by University of Brighton and the MIE. Using an interpretive-ethnographic methodology, they argued that there has been a shift from a model imported from UOB to a hybrid model where both institutions have benefited. Learning opportunities for University of Brighton was singled out- through their presence at MIE as well as the virtual space through which trainees get connected to UOB. Interestingly enough, the ‘colonial mentality’ of ‘only Brighton’ that existed in the first cohort, who resisted an involvement of MIE tutors, has given way to a healthy shift to MIE personnel collaborating more closely in providing academic support in both teaching and dissertation supervision. This is largely accepted and increasingly welcome. The research shows that the MIE has benefited enormously from this collaboration with an institution of international repute, the UOB.

Mike Cole (UK) showed concern for the timid attention given to inequality issues. He argued for the revival of a socialist debate in the present context and urged Mauritius to address inequality issues such as gender, race, and sexuality in teacher training as an avenue for equity and inclusion.

Dr Sid Nair (Australia) addressed the issue of quality and provided a model for addressing quality at all levels of the university. He is of the opinion that the only test for quality is students’ feedback, which has been amply demonstrated at Monash University. Furthermore, he believes that we should move away from the mentality “I am a good teacher” to “Can I be a better teacher?”

Dr Gunputh’s (Mauritius) paper, The downfall of Tertiary Education: Knowledge Hub or Knowledge Pub? The case of the University of Mauritius in and as Tertiary Education, focused on the governmental aim of working towards making Mauritius a knowledge hub. Dr Gunput argued that this endeavour is not without difficulties : from the availability of space to the debatable issue of financial allocation, or lack of it, the university is set to undergo drastic changes as questions are being raised whether it will be able to cope with the expansion of access to education. 

Dr Sheila Bunwaree (Mauritius) raised the question ”Is the Mauritian Higher Education Sector “Crisis Proof?” The paper highlighted the lack of research conducted in Higher Education in Mauritius and then went on to outline the status of higher education in the African region. Unlike different African states, Mauritius has been investing in higher education. The state of different universities in Africa was discussed and it was pointed out how the University of Mauritius emerges as being different because it is not being afflicted with problems regarding research, irrelevant curricula, general strike, both by lecturers and students. The role of the World Bank in these universities was also drawn and how its decision to force countries to invest in primary education has caused harm in the long-run.

Dr Rajeev Rattan Sharma’s (India) paper underlined the renewed importance of teachers in a knowledge-based economy and how they are the factors that are responsible for change and transformation. Dr Sharma emphasized that there must be focus should thus be on critical and divergent thinking, constructivism and understanding and less of memorization. References were made to scriptures where teachers are encouraged to cultivate self-reflection and it was highlighted that the traditional classroom has to be changed to a more innovative standard. 

Dr Vassen  Naeck’s (Mauritius) paper highlighted the fact that it is only recently, in 2006, that the ZEP project re-invented itself. As a result, pedagogical experimentation was encouraged and in 2007, ‘on the job training’ for teachers was offered to empower teachers in ZEP schools. It also based itself on a research that was conducted with existing teachers who demanded that the courses contain more variety and be more practice-based (rather than theory) in order to equip them further and facilitate their adaptation to the work place. The difficulties of young teachers were exposed – indiscipline, lack of motivation of teachers and students, little administrative support. Keeping these difficulties in mind, the paper called for a rethink of the initial training that young teachers undergo before being thrust in the schools – a training that would prepare the teachers better.

Dr R. Beesoondoyal (Mauritius) presented a paper on Students’ Views of the Teacher as a key partner in their learning of Mathematics. Students’ perception of teaching in the classroom has a significant influence on their cognitive and affective learning outcomes. It was found that teachers have good  leadership skills, are friendly and understanding, but they do not provide sufficient opportunities for students to demonstrate  responsibility. The audience felt that teachers need to give more thinking to their pedagogical practices which this research highlights.

DR Ramma, H. Mariaye- (Mauritius) presented finding from a NEPAD project on the use of ICT.  This project included schools from Mauritius and Rodrigues. It consisted of familiarizing teachers with ICT and getting them to use ICT in classroom. The major resistance came from the management’s attitudes in some schools and the concern for the exam driven curriculum that prevented teachers to venture into new avenues. There is a need for change in attitude which has to emerge from the school  to sustain and encourage teachers to enable the teacher to become more reflective in their approach to pedagogy and the use of ICT.

Mrs Leve Hang and Carole Reynald (Mauritius) presented an interesting experience in dealing with children with learning difficulties at Loreto, St Pierre. A project that was initiated as a B.Ed Action research (MIE) was amply supported and perpetuated at Loreto School. The evidence of the support of the Rector and the desire to go ahead with change, despite odds and resistance as well as concern of PSSA that did not wish to depart from the routine was clearly visible. The audience appreciated the fact the school philosophy: Go ahead and change- the result will justify the means.. never mind if we have to apologise to the PSSA! The interesting fact is that the project was successful as the teachers trained from MIE cooperated fully while the resistance came mainly from non-MIE trained ones!

Mrs D. Beeharry (Mauritius) made a case for continuous assessment and provided evidence of its working in a private secondary school. She was of the opinion that there is a need to review the assessment system but there is also a need for the right pedagogical leadership and determination to effect the shift from a traditional assessment system to one where there is an active involvement of the teacher and learner.  Policy decision should also be forthcoming in order to make such practices more widespread.

Dr Hyleen Mariaye’s, (Mauritius), paper was based on a research mapping achievement from 1980 to 2004 through an analysis of results of three main examinations, end of primary CPE and end of Secondary SC & HSC. She emphasised on the need to focus more on outcomes, than just inputs in education. She highlighted the sporadic improvement made regarding achievement and was of the opinion that the system is still producing a lot of wastage. The system still has limited ability to bolster achievement. She made a case for having more focussed and clear national targets for education in Mauritius. 

S. Saddul-Hauzaree’s (Mauritius) paper explains how understanding the structures of knowledge, rather than merely focusing on content of knowledge benefits retention as well as enables transfer of knowledge, develops problem-solving skills and intellectual stimulation. She focused on the use of structure representation in science subjects, more specifically in Physics at lower secondary school.

Learning of structure of knowledge enables learning of how things/ideas are related and this is especially crucial to the teaching/learning of science. Children’s innate ability to develop structures was mentioned. The emphasis therefore was clearly on teaching structures and not only content, which would using a constructivist philosophy. The paper also brought out the fact that many Physics teachers tend to compartmentalize Physics as a subject in terms of groupings, principles, graphs, laws, cause and effect amongst others. This approach hinders broader and deeper learning as it lacks large themes such as symmetry, analogy, physical models, and the unity that is inherent in Physics.

The paper thus sought to highlight the fact that the very concept of teaching and teaching physics has got to undergo a shift. The teaching of structures caters for broader understanding and educators need to take note to this approach in order to enable the students engage more with the learning process.

Dr. Ravhee Bholah’s (Mauritius) paper explains  the correlation between health and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and vice versa in a case study in Mauritius as a Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The speaker particularly highlighted the different elements inherent to the designing of a valid health education programme that would be in line with recommendations of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD).

Dr Bholah started by explaining that, contrarily to the former perception, concepts like environment, economy, education, society and sustainability are now embedded in each other and are no longer viewed as disjointed entities. He explained that ESD aims at developing values, knowledge and skills that will eventually allow people – locally and globally – to individually and collectively improve the quality of life without adversely affecting our planet.

The speaker then underscored the importance of health in ESD by providing a range of data and statistics showing the different transformations that were being operated locally in a number of fields, such as in terms of the rising life expectancy, the fall in epidemiological patterns of diseases and the new types of illnesses like obesity and heart diseases. Dr Bholah also shed light on the dangers related to the changing lifestyles of youngsters in Mauritius by talking of issues like depression, suicide and the lack of physical activity among adolescents. Given the challenge posed by an emerging disease like Aids, the speaker underlined the need for Mauritius to have an appropriate policy in terms of health education as part of a national plan on the question, the more so as youngsters are engaging in sexual activity at an increasingly younger age.

Question was raised about the state of readiness in Mauritius and its acceptance of sex education in schools. The speaker pointed out that this is still a huge debate as sex education is considered very much a taboo, so much so that the very terminology of ‘sex education’ was changed. This has not yielded the desired results. What is therefore required is working on a change in attitude. Other countries, such as Uganda, have had effective school-based programmes on HIV AIDS, which have contributed to reducing AIDS significantly. The discussion also led on to a comparison with the state of sex education in UK, which is being hindered by the catholic lobby. As a result, because sex education has not been working effectively, teenage levels of pregnancy are high. It is therefore important not to work in isolation but to work in parallel.

Om Varma (Mauritius) addressed the issue of the Hidden Curriculum in Mauritian primary schools. He explained that understanding the school should also consists of understanding what goes on outside the classroom. He referred to the playground as dangerous places for girls, where gender stereotypes are perpetuated and the basis for a patriarchal society laid down. Teacher seems largely unaware of this issue. His study, of playground and activities that goes on in the school yard during recess time, points out to the dominant role of boys. However, boys have been described as the ‘new losers’ in a number of researches that lay emphasis solely on a gap between boys’ and girls’ academic achievement. The research tries to show that girls, despite doing better end up by being the ‘invisible losers’ who occupy secondary positions in society. The findings of the research were also supported by the audience in the discussion sessions; the latter testified to similar incidences of gender ‘wars’ in schools today.