End of Primary Cycle - PSAC 2025: Rising Success Rate, but Angry Parents

The Primary School Achievement Certificate (PSAC) has recorded a success rate of 76.90% this year, up from 76.66% in 2024. While these figures indicate progress, they have not calmed the anger of many parents who have expressed their dissatisfaction with the secondary school assigned to their child by the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) through its computer system.

On Thursday morning, following the release of the results, several parents rushed to the MES Customer Care Desk in Réduit to voice their complaints. Their goal was clear: to contest the assigned institution and request a transfer. Unlike previous years, journalists were denied access, preventing any direct interaction with the parents on-site.

Parents in Distress

One mother, wishing to remain anonymous, expressed her distress: "My son performed excellently, but he was assigned to a school that does not match our preferences. I live in Zone 4 and prioritized the Collège du Saint-Esprit, Dr. Regis Chaperon State Secondary School, and MGSS of Solférino. Yet, he was assigned to Vacoas SSS. The officials told me that I first need to register him at this school to secure his place. They claim the allocation is computer-generated. But if that's the case, why aren't our choices respected? I refuse to accept this system. My son has worked hard despite his fragile health; he deserves the school of his choice."

Similarly, Ashad Dilmahomed, a father, shared his concern: "My daughter Alhena, a student at Dukesbridge School Trianon, achieved the highest score of 4 without taking lessons. I had chosen MGSSS and Ébène SSS, but she was assigned to Loreto College in Rose-Hill, which was not among my options. I live in Coromandel, just seven minutes from MGSSS in Moka. How can a computer system decide my daughter's future? I told the officials that I would do everything possible for her to get the school she deserves, even if it means putting an extra table in the classroom." According to the officials, automatic school assignments aim to prevent cases of "no school" when admission forms are incorrectly filled out. An official announcement will soon outline the transfer procedure.

Key Figures

At a press conference, MES director Serge Ng Tat Chung stated that 12,281 candidates participated in the exams, with 9,444 passing, resulting in an overall success rate of 76.90%. In Mauritius, over 8,800 students received their certificates, representing a rate of 76.4%. In Rodrigues, 601 candidates succeeded with a rate of 84.8%, while Agalega recorded an 85% success rate among its seven candidates. Girls excelled this year, with 4,895 female candidates obtaining their PSAC compared to 4,549 boys. Performance was strong in French, English, Kreol Morisien, Kreol Rodrige, and Sciences, but weaker in certain Eastern languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, and Marathi.

Another notable point: 2,817 Grade 5 students participated in the evaluation, with 2,793 passing, achieving a rate of 89.8%.

Strong Performance from ZEP Schools

Schools in Priority Education Zones (ZEP) have shown remarkable results. Ste-Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus RCA achieved a success rate of 89.29%, while Résidence Vallijee Government School recorded 88.89%.