The Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal annulled four appointments out of the 47 chosen by the Public Service Commission (PSC) for the position of Deputy Rector in state secondary schools.
This decision came after a challenge by two candidates, Sudhir Kumar Fowdur and Shaakirah Hajee Ahmud-Saumtally, who were not selected for the positions. The Tribunal’s ruling stated that the appointments of certain candidates did not meet the necessary academic qualifications as set out in the job advertisement.
According to the job advertisement released by the PSC in February 2021, candidates were required to have a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) from a recognized institution or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the PSC.
Additionally, candidates were expected to have at least fifteen years of teaching experience in a state secondary school acquired after obtaining the necessary qualifications.
The challenge brought forward by Sudhir Kumar Fowdur and Shaakirah Hajee Ahmud-Saumtally focused on the academic qualifications of those appointed by the PSC.
Sudhir Fowdur claimed that not all candidates who were selected for interviews held the required qualifications, making them ineligible for the position of Deputy Rector.
During the hearings, Sudhir Fowdur identified at least four candidates who he believed did not meet the specified qualifications. However, he acknowledged that he was not certain if their alternative qualifications, such as a Master’s in Education, were considered acceptable by the PSC.
The representative of the PSC argued that the four candidates in question were qualified for the position based on the scheme of service and that their Master’s in Education was considered an acceptable alternative qualification.
However, the representative could not confirm the equivalence of these qualifications, stating that it was up to the Mauritius Qualifications Authority to determine equivalence.
In the end, the Tribunal concluded that the four candidates were not qualified as per the Scheme of Service for the position of Deputy Rector, as they did not have the necessary teaching experience and their qualifications were not proven to be equivalent to the required PGCE.
The decision has sparked debate among colleagues of the affected candidates in state schools, with some questioning the selection process and criteria used by the PSC. They argue that if the candidates were not eligible from the start, they should not have been selected for interviews in the first place.
Source: Le Mauricien
