The digital classroom has arrived in Mauritius

The Sankoré Project, which aims to provide education through innovative technology, is now being rolled out in schools by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources and the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE). 

Dr. Vasant Bunwaree, Minister of Education and Human Resources, launched the first installation and use of the Digital Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) and projector at the M. Burrenchobay Government School in Plaine Magnien. 

The launching was in a Standard IV class, where the teacher and pupils worked on an interactive lesson. The Sankoré Project is mainly about the creation of digital educational resources for teachers and learners and provides an ICT-driven interactive interface in Mauritian schools. 

The process of digital resource creation is being undertaken by the MIE through its Centre for Open and Distance Learning (CODL). As part of the Sankoré Project, a Learning Factory has been set up at the CODL for digitalising the curriculum.

In February this year, the MIE signed an agreement with the French e-learning firm Paraschool for assistance at the initial stage of developing digital materials and for training in the provision of teaching inputs for the digital classroom. 

The installation of the IWBs and projectors has begun in all primary schools and is expected to be completed by end-June. 

The MIE team is currently digitalising the Standard IV programme and these resources will then be used by teachers as materials to teach in an innovative way. 

These educational resources, which are re-usable, can also be enhanced by the teacher to suit the school context. Moreover, the resources are much more stimulating than traditional resources as they stimulate the learner in visual, auditory and kinaesthetic ways. 

The ministry is expecting all 8,000 classrooms of the primary and secondary schools of Mauritius to have their own interactive materials by 2015.