Development of Distance Education in Mauritius

Overview & Synopsis

Correspondence institutions in United Kingdom and South Africa have enrolled Mauritian students in various courses and programs at different levels for more than 50 years. The institutionalization of second-generation distance education (DE) using print and audiovisual media had modest beginnings with the inception of the Mauritius College of the Air (MCA) in the early 1970s, at around the same time that the United Kingdom Open University was beginning its operations. The MCA was re-enacted in 1985 with renewed interest in media and distance education in the wake of World Bank interest in funding the development of the educational sector in Mauritius. In this article, the author discusses the development of distance education and its implementation in Mauritius. The author asserts that a national strategy for the further development of DE in Mauritius based on acquired experience is highly desirable and now is the opportune time to do this.