Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for this question. I am informed that there are 716 students from Rodrigues who are currently pursuing their academic endeavours across diverse range of courses offered within our public higher education institutions. It is important to note that since the inception of my Ministry, we have received no formal representation concerning any difficulties experienced by our Rodriguans scholars in their educational pursuits. I also wish to highlight that students from Rodrigues, who are enrolled in undergraduate programmes, derive full benefit from Free Tertiary Education Scheme. Indeed, it bears emphasis that all students who hold citizenship of the Republic of Mauritius are afforded precisely the same educational facilities and opportunities without distinction. Furthermore, I am advised that the University of Mauritius maintains a specialised Student Financial Assistance Fund, expressly designed to provide support to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Rodrigues. Madam Speaker, in our endeavour to enhance accessibility and remove administrative impediments, we have instituted comprehensive digital platforms for course registration, delivery, fee settlement, thereby obviating the necessity for superfluous travel. Most notably, students may now submit their requisite documents directly to the Commission for Vocational Training in Rodrigues for the purposes of University of Mauritius registration. Concurrently, our higher education institutions maintain a systematic programme of deploying academic and non-academic personnel to Rodrigues to deliver crucial face to face

61 instruction as well as to conduct assessment and exams, thereby ensuring that programme integrity and academic excellence are uncompromisingly maintained. Madam Speaker, with respect to physical infrastructure, I am informed that Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd. (PML) presently maintains two operational campuses in Rodrigues, situated at Baie Malgache and Mont Lubin, respectively. Of particular significance, PML has formulated a comprehensive extension project for Rodrigues Baie Malgache Campus, which currently awaits deliberation by the appropriate commission within the Rodrigues Regional Assembly. The strategic expansion shall furnish four supplementary teaching facilities, thereby substantially augmenting our capacity to deliver an expanded curriculum and accommodate a greater number of students. I wish to reaffirm this Government’s steadfast and unequivocal commitment to providing inclusive educational opportunities for every citizen of our Republic. This commitment necessarily encompasses our aspiration to establish a consolidated campus facility capable of serving multiple educational institutions, contingent upon the availability of the requisite financial resources. The academic aspirations and intellectual advancement of the Rodriguan youth constitute matters of supreme importance to this administration. All future policy formulation shall be informed by our abiding principles of national unity and our unwavering dedication to ensuring equitable access to educational excellence for all our citizens. I should be most grateful if the hon. Member would favour my Ministry with any suggestion and observation that might serve to further enhance the academic experience of our esteemed Rodriguan students within our public higher education system.

Thank you, hon. Minister. Yes, Mr Edouard!

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the hon. Minister for his reply. Will the hon. Minister consider the difficulties faced by the Rodriguan students in Mauritius in relation to lodging, which is very expensive here? How the Minister can help, please? Thank you.

I would be most willing to meet them and discuss the issue further.

Thank you.

62 Hon. Third Member for Beau Bassin and Petite Rivière! LOCAL FOOTBALL CLUBS – FOREIGN PLAYERS – RECRUITMENT CONDITIONS