Should our laureates come back? And what about the other scholars? (French, Indian etc)(Draft for discussion)

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Should our laureates come back? And what about the other scholars? (French, Indian etc)

The chosen topic is something which is in the limelight nowadays. To begin with, it is appropriate to quote Farhad Peerally who in 2007 had in l’Express brought forward certain facts to be born in mind with regard to our laureates:

The cost:

The laureates at that time cost Rs 114 million yearly

The % of those who do not return

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Corporation and Development) in 2005 estimated that between 50-53 % of our Highly Skilled Population live abroad.

With much irony he also said ‘Looking for greener pastures abroad has been a phenomenon inherent in Mauritian society. Often condemned by hard-line patriots, they tend to forget that most of our ancestors did this very thing by leaving the states of Bihar & Uttar Pradesh in India and the rural areas of China in their quest for a better living. However, it is a completely different issue when it comes to the migration of government-sponsored students who have signed a legal agreement which binds them to return to the island.’

 90 % do not return

More recently on le Defi website in an article dated 02.03.2011 entitled-‘ Education – Plus de 90 % de lauréats ne reviennent pas au pays’ Patrick Hilbert  informed that more than 90 per cent of our laureates do not return.  This very eye opening article accessible on http://www.defimedia.info/articles/679/1/Education--Plus-de-90--de-laureats--ne-reviennent-pas-au-pays/Page1.htmlwe learn that out of the 180 laureates this country has been honouring over the past years only 15 have returned to work for the motherland while 28 have paid back the bond of Rs 500,000. In the article several points are evoked: the absence of a proper contract, the absence of the patriotic fibre, the dishonesty on the part of the laureate, the use of public funds. This means that 137 laureates have not paid their bonds representing a value of Rs 63.5 million in terms of the bond to be refunded to the State. This money could be put in a Special fund to help needy but brilliant student.

All these also apply to the French and other scholars who have been awarded scholarships with bonds of different values attached. However, these scholars are not even being taken into account. Who were they?Where are they? Do they intend to return? All these questions remain unanswered.

Laureates tend to point to a crucial truth which is the inexistence of proper job opportunities especially for those having completed very specific studies and research in areas not yet even in an embryonic state in Mauritius.  However, a bond remaining a bond and knowing that these laureates have been trained for high level studies earning them, in general, a high pay, the least of things would have been to pay back the bond. The same applies to the other scholars.

One important aspect to note is that not only the laureates have signed the bond but the parents as well.  However, the origin of this reluctance to pay the bond is both from the parent and the laureate. How can the laureate be at fault if he has been taught to do so by his very parents who themselves are not willing to shoulder their responsibilities?

 How to solve this quandary?

According the Government website, at a meeting held at the MGI recently, the Minister of Education and Human Resources informed that a new scheme was being prepared so as to offer a guaranteed job to the laureates on their return to Mauritius. The Additional Laureate Scheme would be reviewed and the number of scholarships would increase to 30 as opposed to the 12 available now. Access to these scholarships will be both on merit and on social criteria and students ranked after the laureates will also be able to secure a scholarship to pursue higher studies, and  that his would bring greater equity and social justice.He further said that modalities regarding the duration of the bond were also being reviewed. This would, in his opinion, ensure that the country reaps the fruits of its investment while at the same time giving the opportunity to the laureate to acquire work experience.

This bodes well for the future but the contracts signed by the laureates should henceforth be clear, unambiguous and flawless. As regards those not willing to pay back their bonds, legal means and proper tracking systems should be devised with relevant blacklists to intercept them at the airport itself and ensure that the payment is made.

However, somehow our education system for years has failed. By education system, should be understood the formal and informal education that is education in its broadest sense. Indeed, never have we been taught why we should be proud to be Mauritian, what the term honesty means etc. We have been wrongly been taking these as being known. The curriculum should emphasize civic values and parents as well should play their role to ensure that the child is brought up with the right principles ‘As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined one used to say’. It is all too easy to see problems but not solutions. The laureates are brilliant people and in fact solution finders. As a patriot, what better reward could there be to find solutions for their country?