Rajen Valayden’s 2 Affidavits Exposes Son’s School Admission Injustice

Supreme Court – Post-PSAC Admission: Rajen Valayden Goes on the Counteroffensive. Rajen Valayden challenges the explanations provided by the Ministry of Education, Deputy Prime Minister Leela Devi Dookhun-Luchoomun, and the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) with two new affidavits filed in the Supreme Court yesterday. These educational authorities had asserted in their affidavits last week that there was no discrimination against young Shankaran Valayden regarding the allocation of places in colleges after the Primary School Achievement Certificate (PSAC) exams.

Rajen Valayden’s first affidavit responds to the one jointly filed by the Ministry of Education and Minister Dookhun-Luchoomun, while his second affidavit addresses that of the MES. In both documents, Rajen Valayden reiterates that his son has not yet started his school year, creating a stressful situation for the child and his family.

He refuted the argument that his son did not get a place at the Mahatma Gandhi Secondary School (MGSS) in Moka because the proximity criterion under the Education (Amendment) Regulations 2015 was applied. According to this criterion, when there are two or more students who have achieved the same results, the one who lives closest to the college is selected.

In this context, the MES had refused to publish a list of candidates admitted to the MGSS, along with their results and addresses, as according to the organization, these results cannot be disclosed to a third party without the candidates’ or their parents’ consent.

However, in his affidavits, Rajen Valayden cited examples of certain students (without revealing their identities) who were admitted to the MGSS, contradicting the explanations provided. In one case, a student living in Trèfles was admitted to the MGSS. A student living in Palma, with an Aggregate 6, a less brilliant result than that of his son, was also admitted to this institution. He also mentioned several students living in Flacq who were also admitted to the MGSS. He maintains that these details are sufficient to demonstrate that his son was treated discriminatorily and unfairly, contrary to the defendants’ claims.

Rajen Valayden is prepared to provide the Court confidentially with the names, results, and addresses of these students. He reiterated his request for the MES to provide, under confidentiality, the list of students who have been offered places at the MGSS, including their names, addresses, and results.

Source: Le Mauricien