The laureate system has become a sacred ritual practised in the shrine of the Royal College by generations, and any attempt to lay profane hands on this custom is bitterly resented.
Conventional wisdom would have it that the main problem with the Mauritian education is the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE). This article, however, traces the root cause to the laureate system, which was established early in the nineteenth century to reward the best student of the Royal College. Nowadays, this laureate system rewards the best HSC students taking various combinations of subjects. The media helps to further amplify the impact of this system by its coverage of adolescents dancing and screaming around the laureates. Some rectors of reputed secondary schools are even convinced that the main goal of the education system is to produce laureates and that the quality of a secondary school is determined to a large extent by the number of laureates the institution produces.
One way to tackle the root cause of a problem is to ask ‘why’ a number of times. Why is there a rush for ‘star’ primary schools? Because they produce relatively more students with ‘good’ CPE results. Why is there so much fuss about ranking at CPE level? Because the demand for seats in ‘star’ secondary schools far exceeds the number available. Why this obsession with ‘star’ secondary schools? Because laureates come almost exclusively from these schools – the rare exceptions only confirm this rule. As long as the laureate system is maintained, few parents will accept that their children are denied access to these laureate-producing schools. This is far from suggesting that all parents want their children to be laureates. The fact us that public opinion about the ‘star’ secondary schools is determined by the rank obtained by their pupils at the CPE level.
In the past the ‘scholarship’ examinations (petite bourse) selected those who were eligible to be admitted in those secondary schools where education was free (the package even included free textbooks, free transport and pocket money). With the advent of ‘free’ education in the mid-seventies, this was no longer valid. What is also no longer valid is the fact that access to university education is next to impossible if one is not a laureate nor very wealthy.
The solution is very simple. Studies in systems dynamics have shown that the most effective and efficient way to change systems is to identify points of least resistance and maximum leverage/impact. One such point in the Mauritian education system is the award of scholarships to foreign universities to the best HSC students (laureates). The reform would consist in abolishing the laureate system altogether. This simple change will be met with minimum resistance from the powerful lobbies which are understandably bent on blocking all reforms which threaten their interests and will have maximum impact. This system benefits only a few dozen students who would, in any case, easily secure admission in local tertiary institutions.
The laureate system no longer has its raison d’être, given the number of tertiary institutions in Mauritius. HSC students can be given admission to these institutions based on their examination grades. Hardship cases can be dealt with under social security provisions, which can be amended if necessary. To further reinforce the regionalization drive, regional quotas can be instituted provided minimum criteria are satisfied.
If the authorities officially announced that the abolition of the laureate system will take effect as from 2007, when those who are currently in Form 1 complete their secondary education, regionalization of admission to primary and secondary schools will be more readily accepted by parents in 2001. The obsession with ‘star’ schools (whether primary or secondary) will gradually fade away. The excessive tension surrounding the CPE examinations will significantly diminish. The rat race characterizing the education system at primary and secondary levels will disappear. The impact of the Pygmalion syndrome, associated with the labeling effect of ranking, will be drastically reduced. More attention will be focused on relatively more important issues such as teacher education, curricular and extra-curricular activities, the quality of school administration, etc.
This change does not imply that Mauritian students will no longer benefit from scholarships to foreign universities. These could be reserved for the best graduates from Mauritian tertiary institutions interested in pursuing postgraduate courses. At this level, the negative impact of ranking would be negligible.
[First Published in L’Express, 07.02.2000]
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