the National Certificate of Education, he will state the number of students of the Extended Programme enroll…
(No. B/924) Mr C. Ramkalawon (Third Member for Flacq & Bon Accueil) asked the Minister of Education and Human Resource whether, in regard to the National Certificate of Education, he will state the number of students of the Extended Programme enrolled thereunder over the period 2021 to date, on a yearly basis, indicating the number thereof who failed same and the number thereof having subsequently opted for technical or vocational training.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to thank the hon. Member for this pertinent PQ. In fact, this PQ touches at one of the most despicable changes in the assessment and curriculum framework ever done in our system of education. Let me refer to the mid-term evaluation of the extended programme by the World Bank, which highlighted two fundamental questions, which was as follows – (i) What is the evidence that Extended Programme students are progressing as intended? (ii) To what extent is the teaching and learning programme, for example, choice of learning area, type and amount of content to be covered, suitable for EP students? In their conclusion in June 2020, the experts who carried out the mid-term evaluation of the Extended Programme by the World Bank said the following, I quote – “Most students within the EP were functioning academically at a primary school level, several grade levels behind where they should be, and learning improvement had not taken place at a sufficiently rapid pace.” Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Extended Programme neither provided the students with a curriculum framework suited to their needs, nor prepared them adequately to join any technical or vocational institution. The hon. Member is himself an Educator who has worked with both extended stream students in the past and is now working with a Foundation Program. He can make a first-hand evaluation of the huge difference between these two. If I am not mistaken, the Member teaches the students Civic Education and Community Service.
Can you reply to the question, please? The number of students in the Extended Programme.
Yes, I will. So, for 2022, 1,950 students were examined, 1,879 failed. In 2023, 2,149 students were examined, 1,957 failed. In 2024, 2,275 students were examined, 2,091 failed. In 2025, 1,460 students were examined, 1,382 failed the exam. That is why Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was explaining why the curriculum and assessment framework were not suited for these kids. Number of students who joined a vocational and training institution in 2023 – 569, in 2024 – 1001, in 2025 – 1,047, in 2026 – 740. That is why, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we brought the Foundation Program to cure the pedagogical problem that was there.
Okay. The hon. First member for Vacoas and Floréal. POINTE AUX SABLES – SEWAGE SPILL – DECONTAMINATION STRATEGY – INQUIRY