State House hosts Reception in honour of HSC Laureates 2019/2021 скачать в хорошем качестве

State House hosts Reception in honour of HSC Laureates 2019/2021

A reception was held, this morning at the State House in Réduit, to celebrate the achievements of 42 young students who won the distinction of being Higher School Certificate (HSC) Laureates in 2019 and 2021. The President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun; the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun; and families of the laureates were present. In his address, President Roopun congratulated the laureates for their hard work, perseverance, and resilience that they demonstrated especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. He underlined the importance of striking a delicate and intelligent life balance and urged them to dedicate ample time for other activities apart from their studies. He called upon them to always remain grateful to those who supported them, namely their parents, teachers, peers, and their country which gave them peace, stability and opportunities to move forward. He further encouraged them to carry on with their good habits as well as their enthusiasm and positive vibes and to give back to their country what they received so that future generations can benefit. For his part, Prime Minister Jugnauth underlined that Government’s policy is to invest in the youth of the country and provide wider possibilities to students so that everyone can have access to higher education and more varied options for their studies. “There should be no barriers to university education. We have created pathways to higher education and training for all young boys and girls, including those who come from vulnerable families or those with special needs,” he said. He thus encouraged present and future learners to continue to strive hard and to take full advantage of the schemes that are available to fund the pursuit of their studies. Addressing the laureates, he urged them to make the most of the years to come since universities are the most appropriate place for young adults to build independence, develop character strengths and forge their own identities. He also underlined the need for them to find the right balance between academics and athletics, to explore the performing and visual arts and stay socially active. Speaking about brain drain, the Prime Minister stated that no country can make progress if brain drain undermines its development. He underscored that the country expects them to come back home once they acquire skills, knowledge, and competencies in areas of national interest. “We want the skilled professionals who are working abroad to return home because we believe they can make a difference in their home country,” he added. Furthermore, he dwelt on transforming Mauritius into a digital economy and society while highlighting that fields such as digital technologies, Fin Tech, agri-business management, and biopharma digital transformation should emerge as pillars of the new economy. Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Jugnauth underlined that Government has come up with a new scheme to reward the best HSC students in Economics. As from 2023, this scheme will provide opportunities for the best student in the economics stream to pursue fully funded undergraduate studies locally or abroad, he said. He added that the offer of additional scholarships for the best Economics students is in keeping with Government’s vision to foster innovation and propel the economy to higher levels of growth, development, and employment. As for Vice-Prime Minister Dookun-Luchoomun, she commended the laureates for their success and wished them to best of luck for their future endeavours. Recalling that Government is massively investing in the education sector, she dwelt on subsidies being provided as well as free tertiary education which is being offered. Inadequate financial means should not prevent one from achieving one’s aspirations, she stated. Furthermore, she highlighted Government’s belief in justice, equality and fairness and its vision of democratising education and providing equal opportunity to all. She emphasised that since the last two years, the education sector was called upon to become more resilient because of the pandemic. She rejoiced that the sector did not come to a standstill despite COVID-19 adding that students were able to transition to online learning.