Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed that 160 students are enrolled at the Port-Louis North State Secondary School for academic year 2025. Out of the 160 students, 81 are enrolled in the mainstream programme, 59 are in the foundation programme in literacy, numeracy and skills and the remaining 20 are in Grade 9 Plus which is the last cohort of the of the failed extended programme. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as regard to the enrolment trend, the Port-Louis North SSS has been subject to a decreasing one over the past five years with the number of enrolled students as follows – 1. 408 students in year 2019; 2. 347 students in year 2021 – the COVID-19 period; 3. 331 students in year 2021/2022; 4. 289 students in year 2023; 5. 241 students in year 2024. I wish to inform the House that this decreasing enrolment trend has been observed not only in the Port-Louis North SSS but as well as in other State and private grant aided secondary schools across the island. This phenomenon is due to factors such as decreasing student population and also choice of parents for admission in schools as per the Education Regulations. The said regulations provide that admission to Grade 7 in a regional school is based on – 1. The choice of responsible party; 2. The residence of the pupil in the geographical zone in which the regional school is located, and 3. The grade aggregate of the pupil in the PSAC assessment. The decreasing student population raises concerns with respect to the sub optimal utilisation of government buildings and facilities and an uneven distribution of resources both financial and human. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, my Ministry is currently conducting an exercise on all the State Secondary Schools including the Port-Louis North SSS in relation to enrolment for

53 academic year 2026, taking into consideration projected admissions in Grades 7 and 10 for the Mainstream Programme as well as the Foundation Programme. This exercise will determine the perennity of numerous schools including Port-Louis North SSS. Thank you.

Yes, you have a supplementary?

Merci, M. le président. L’honorable ministre a-t-il un plan peut-être de conversion de ce collège d’État en centre de formation professionnelle tout en gardant certains aspects académiques afin d’attirer plus de jeunes et leur offrir une meilleure perspective pour l’avenir ? Merci.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, yes, the EDB and my Ministry are working on a list of Government Schools that are currently closed and have remained unused over the years and also where we need to close them in order to see how to make optimum use of government infrastructure. Your suggestion will be taken on board.

Yes, B/929 has been withdrawn. So, we go to B/930. The Third Member for Rivière des Anguilles & Souillac. PROJET DE RELANCE DU FOOTBALL – ANNUAL BUDGET – EXPECTED OUTCOMES – MFA INVOLVEMENT