The University of Mauritius is going through difficult times. This is not new, you will say…
The blame is being subtly shifted to lecturers who are bearing the consequences of drastic changes in policy. In fact, most people are thinking that lecturers have asked for an extra week of holiday because they are utterly lazy. It has even been said on the radio that lecturers were absent yesterday and that students were sent back home for the first day of lectures. Very convenient, isn’t it?
But let me tell you that this is not true. We were present yesterday and we are present everyday at work. People do not realise how much work goes on behind the scene. Unlike primary and secondary school teachers, we do not get any holidays when there are no classes unless we apply for official leave.
The truth is that we were asked by top management to delay start of semester by one week for most courses. If the information did not get to the students, is it our fault?
And by the way, the reasons cited in the media for the delay are completely ‘à côté de la plaque’. More crucial issues are being omitted. And our Union is quite unsuccessful at getting the message across. But for God’s sake, stop putting the blame on us…