EFA Country Profile 14 General Context An island country located in the south of Africa numbering about 1.2 million inhabitants,, with GDP per capita of US$ 9,25 in 12, is ranked as an upper-middle income country. Over the past 12 years, the real GDP per capita has increased by 3.5 percent per year. Real growth of national wealth (3.9 percent per year) is markedly superior to the population growth of.4 percent per year. In 12, the primary school-aged population represented.5 percent of the total population, against 17.4 percent on average for Sub-Saharan Africa, which indicates that demographic pressure on the development of the education system is slight. HIV&AIDS prevalence is equally very weak (1. percent, against 5.3 percent on average for Sub-Saharan Africa). The Human Development Index (HDI) ranks th out of 7 countries. Demographic and Macroeconomic Context (12) GDP per Capita (US$) 9,25 Total Population ( ) 1,24 % of the Population of School Age.5 % of Out-of-School Children of School Age 2.1 HIV&AIDS Prevalence (15-49 years) 1.% HDI (Ranking) /7 Key EFA Indicators for 12 or Most Recent Year The African EFA Development Index for was 9.5 in, reflecting a very favorable initial situation compared to the average of Sub-Saharan African countries (39.3). The index has followed a positive trend over the period to reach 91.3 (against 57.1 on average for Sub-Saharan Africa). Considering each of the EFA goals included in the index, it is noteworthy that primary education was already universal in (Goal 2) and has been maintained as such over the period. The share of literate individuals aged 15 years and above (Goal 4) has witnessed a rise over the decade (from African EFA Development Index (EDI) (91) SSA Max (91) 4 percent in to 9 percent in 11). level gender parity (Goal 5) has been achieved long ago, in as much as primary education was already universal in, the parity index being of 9. percent in 12. SSA (57) SSA Min () Regarding the other EFA goals, the preprimary GER (Goal 1) has improved to reach percent in 12 (against 91 percent in ), suggesting that all children of preprimary school-age are enrolled at this level. In relation to Goal 3, although this does not fully account for it, the lower secondary completion rate, one of the highest on the continent, has progressed
further to reach 4 percent. Early in the millennium, already boasted good performance in several EFA indicators. It has managed to at least maintain, and possibly to improve its performance over the past decade. There is no doubt that will meet most of the EFA goals by 15. Goal 1 Early Childhood Care and Education Goal 2 Universal Education Goal 3 Learning Needs of All Youth and Adults Goal 4 Improving Levels of Adult Literacy Goal 5 Gender Parity in Education Preprimary Enrollment Rate Completion Rate 99 67 Completion Rate 4 Adult Literacy Rate 9 94 Level Gender Parity Index 99 94 6 6 6 6 6 6 55 4 4 4 35 4 4 24 (91) 1 () (76) 1 (4) () Goal 6 Educational Quality Share of Grade 6 Pupils Achieving the Minimum Level at SACMEQ Assessment * 93 9 73 7 79 63 73 6 5 3 4 3 27 1 Reading Math Legend Goals 1 to 5 Goal 6 (Value for or close in parenthesis) Sub-Saharan African Average SSA Range (min/max) Average of SACMEQ Countries (2 7) Range (min/max) for SACMEQ Countries (2 7) Note: * At least Level IV (In reading = Reading for meaning, in order to link and interpret information located in different parts of the text; In math = Beginning numeracy, to translate verbal or graphical information into simple arithmetic problems and correctly use different arithmetic operations) Enrollment: Education Pyramids 12 or Most Recent Year The data presented in the country profile, in particular those drawn from the schooling profile and education pyramids; enable to provide greater detail on the evolution of education (access, retention and transition) and equity indicators. education, already universal in, continued to be so in 12. enrollment has further progressed over the period considered. The primary to secondary transition has increased (9 percent of children completing primary gained access to lower secondary in 12 against 76 percent in 1). The access rate to lower secondary, already high in 1 (79 percent) improved
slightly further to reach 9 percent in 12, leading to better completion rates for this cycle. In 12, 4 percent of a generation completed lower secondary, against 76 percent in 1. Whereas 2 percent of a generation completed upper secondary in 1, 52 percent completed it in 12. The coverage of higher education virtually tripled over the period, with 3,24 students per, inhabitants in 12, against 1,24 students in. Finally, the share of technical education in total secondary enrollment, of 9 percent in, increased to attain 14 percent in 5 but has since dropped back to its initial level of 9 percent in 12. Equity in School Access and Schooling Careers 12 or Most Recent Year In terms of equity, gender parity was already achieved in primary. Likewise for lower secondary. On the other hand, at upper secondary and higher education levels, a greater enrollment of girls over boys is noted, reflected in the boy/girl parity indexes for these cycles, of. (based on the GER) and.79 (based on the number of students per, inhabitants), respectively.
Learning Quality 12 or Most Recent Year Available information on the quality of learning (Goal 6) drawn from SACMEQ international evaluations highlights positive results. Indeed, in, 6 percent of pupils completing primary Grade 6 mastered the minimum required skills in reading (Reading for meaning: reads on or reads back in order to link and interpret information located in different parts of the text), well above the average of all participating countries (56 percent). By 7, the share had increased further to reach 79 percent (against 63 percent for all participating countries). The country s performance in math was equally satisfactory: in 7, 73 percent of Mauritian pupils mastered the minimum skills required (Beginning numeracy: Translates verbal or graphical information into simple arithmetic problems. Uses multiple different arithmetic operations, in the correct order, on whole numbers, fractions and/or decimals), against 3 percent on average for all participating countries. The Mauritian education system is therefore clearly among the best performers in terms of pupils learning outcomes.
Education Financing 12 or Most Recent Year Sub-Saharan African Minimum Sub-Saharan African Average Sub-Saharan African Maximum Resource Mobilization, 12 Distribution of Education Budget, 12 Government Revenue as % of GDP 1 22 66 (incl. TVET) 11 25 3 44 54 55 65 Educ. Current Exp. as % of Government Current Expenditure 11 22 41 Higher Educ. Other Levels 7 13 5 24 47 Economic growth over these past 12 years has been accompanied by a high government capacity to mobilize sufficient internal resources. Indeed, domestic revenue has remained stable at about 22 percent of GDP over the period, a level comparable with the Sub-Saharan African average ( percent). The share of public recurrent expenditure allocated to education in 12 was 11 percent. This represents a drop in comparison to when it was 15 percent. It is equally below the Sub- Saharan African average (22 percent). However, the level of economic development of the country and the past and current performance of the Mauritian education system can justify this level of financing. The priority given to primary in the sectoral distribution of resources has also dropped, from 4 percent of education spending in to 25 percent in 12. This evolution appears to be normal given that universal primary education has been achieved and the system must now give priority to post primary levels. Underlining this, secondary (including TVET) concentrates the greatest part of public education expenditure (54 percent, against 3 percent for Sub-Saharan Africa). Education Policy Parameters 12 or Most Recent Year Public unit costs for primary have been stable at 9 percent of GDP per capita between 1 and 12, below the Sub-Saharan African average (11 percent). However, this has not impeded offering an excellent learning environment to pupils. Indeed, the pupil-teacher ratio in government primary schools was 21:1 in 12 (against 27:1 in ). Private schools participate greatly to primary schooling: in 12, they accounted for 29 percent of enrollment (against 14 percent on average for Sub-Saharan Africa). At post primary levels, public unit costs are inferior to the average for Sub- Saharan Africa. At the secondary level, they are percent of GDP per capita (against 24 percent for Sub-Saharan Africa). For higher education, public unit costs of 4 percent of GDP per capita in 1 dropped to reach percent in (against 179 percent for Sub-Saharan Africa). The Mauritian education system has thus chosen to involve families in the financing of post primary education to a great degree. It is furthermore noteworthy that over half of secondary pupils (57 percent) are enrolled in the private sector.
Sub-Saharan African Minimum Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Public Schools, 12 Sub-Saharan African Average Sub-Saharan African Maximum Public Teachers Average Salary (% of GDPpc) 13 21 44. 3.4 7.1 13 35 62 1.3 4. 11.6 7 26 4 1.3 5.9 11.6 % of Current Spending Other than Teachers Salaries Percentage of Repeaters, 12 12.6 24.4 65. 1. 3.7 12.6 4.4 6.4 26.2 63.5.3 4.7 13.4 26. 19.9 31. 66..5 16.7 13.3 29.7 % of Pupils in Private Schools, 12 Public Cost per Student (% of GDP pc, Cur. Exp.), 12.5 29 14..4.2.5 27.5 54.2 57 57.3 57.4 (incl. TVET) TVET Higher Education 16 161 4 9 11 6 179 612 24 3 2147 75