End of the Free Pre-Primary Education Scheme: Rs2750 per child each month starting January 2026

The government is adjusting its support for pre-primary education. Starting from January 2026, private pre-primary schools will receive Rs 2,750 per child each month, instead of reimbursement for their operational costs. Parents will be responsible for the remaining tuition fees.

During the presentation of the recent budget, the government announced that the Free Pre-Primary Education Scheme would be revised starting January 2026. Thus, it was revealed that instead of reimbursing the operational costs of pre-primary schools, they will receive a monthly grant of Rs 2,750 per child. Operational details are yet to be finalized.

It appears that the government has been compelled to revise the current Free Pre-Primary Education Scheme, which allowed some parents to avoid paying tuition fees. With the upcoming changes in 2026, these parents will now need to cover a portion of these costs.

For instance, if a pre-primary school charges parents Rs 5,000 per month, Rs 2,750 will be covered by the authorities, while the remaining Rs 2,250 must be paid by the family. This measure only applies to parents who choose a private preschool for their child. Other families can enroll their children in one of the 42 units linked to public primary schools, district councils, or municipalities.

According to the conditions set forth by the Early Childhood Care and Education Authority (ECCEA) Act, a teacher in a preschool must hold a School Certificate (SC) and possess a certificate in Pre-School Education or a Teacher Certificate to be eligible to teach. Discussions with relevant parties are ongoing regarding salary revisions.

As of March 2025, there were 801 schools offering preschool education: 767 in Mauritius and 34 in Rodrigues. Among them, 564 were operated by private entities, 186 located in public primary schools were managed by the ECCEA, while the remaining 51 schools fell under either Catholic or Hindu educational authorities or municipal and village councils.

The number of children enrolled in preschools decreased by 2.9%, from 27,495 in March 2024 to 26,704 in March 2025. Girls represented 49.3% of all students in this cycle. An analysis of trends shows that enrollment dropped from 26,162 in March 2020 to 23,603 in October 2021, before stabilizing in March 2023. A rise was observed in March 2024, reaching 27,495, followed by a decline to 26,704 in March 2025.

In March 2025, the number of employees in preschools was 3,786, a decrease of 3.5% compared to March 2024. This figure includes 1,893 teachers and 1,893 non-teaching staff. The average number of students per teacher was 14.

It is worth noting that preschool education became free in January 2024, in line with the announcement made by former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth during the Independence celebrations in March 2023. This measure was well-received by private institutions, with 410 out of 541 initially adhering to the conditions set by the authorities to benefit from the program.

The ECCEA oversees and supports the concerned institutions, facilitating the administrative procedures linked to the implementation of this initiative. An initial payment was made based on the number of children enrolled in October 2023, followed by regular quarterly payments.

Since the announcement, the authorities have conducted numerous consultations with school directors, both individually and collectively, to present the benefits and opportunities offered by this reform. Schools that meet the required criteria will no longer be allowed to charge registration fees or monthly tuition, a provision aimed at relieving families financially.

School managers now receive a monthly salary of Rs 35,000. To be eligible, schools must be registered with the ECCEA, have a full-time manager, and welcome children aged 3 until they enter primary school. Starting in 2029, managers will be required to hold a Diploma in Early Childhood Management, training supervised by the Ministry of Education. According to the operational requirements, institutions must have:

1 manager per school

1 assistant manager for schools with more than 101 children

1 teacher for every group of 15 children

1 assistant teacher for every group of 15 children

1 maintenance worker for every group of 50 children (up to a maximum of 5)