Port Louis — Though often criticised, private tuition is perceived as a necessary evil in the academic success of our wards.

Despite the fact that education is free in Mauritius, parents face the hard choice of having to deprive their children of the additional help needed to make the difference in our competitive education environment or else, earmark a budget for paid tuition outside school hours.

Private tuition costs range from Rs 250 for CPE students to Rs 300/subject for SC students. They may go up to Rs 500/subject for HSC students. Besides, responsible parties also have to bear the costs of additional books, reading materials and transport expenses to and from tuition.

In that perspective, is private tuition not challenging the ultimate aim of our free education system whilst favouring those who have the means to avail themselves of these facilities?

It would be quite extensive to review the whole system and do without private tuition. What can be done and needs to be done is to ensure that those who do not have the means or else do not wish to take private tuition are not denied their chances of success at school.

Some teachers should, for instance, always remain focused on their syllabus and avoid lengthy irrelevant discourses thus saving precious minutes per day amounting to nearly an hour per week, the equivalent time for private coaching for that particular subject.

Students should not be considered as potential tuition customers by some teachers who even fight among themselves to get the favour of students. By doing so they disturb pupils who fear for instance that following school classes from a particular teacher, while taking tuition from another, might frustrate the former to the point of being unfairly victimised in class.

If an average of one hour tuition per week can make all the difference in exam results for one subject, should we not ask ourselves certain questions about the quality of information being shared during school hours? Are some precious lessons being saved for those who can buy them?

There is a rush towards star teachers for tuition. It is understandable for both parents and students who want to get the best results. This, however, calls upon the need for all school teachers to be perceived as star teachers. Is a system of training and control already set up to ensure this is so ?

Some parents make great sacrifices to provide private tuition for their wards. Unfortunately in absence of control some of them might use the money and time allocated for tuition for other activities. Therefore it would be advisable if parents could keep in touch with teachers from time to time. Private tuition robs our children of the time they should earmark for other interests such as music, sports, social and cultural activities. It's no surprise that a recent survey revealed that only 15% of Mauritians exercise regularly! Do we want an unhealthy but academically fit population to welcome those 2 million tourists in some years' time?

We need to find an acceptable balance between school and private tuition. Even my children have benefited and are still taking advantage of private coaching but the price we pay financially, socially and in terms of reduced extracurricular activities is enormous.

All that can be wished in the future is that all teachers realise that their job is more of a noble vocation than a lucrative activity. Besides it is incumbent on the authorities to have closer monitoring of the quality of education being dispensed in schools from taxpayers' money.