Policy responses to the decline in the number of students choosing biology beyond compulsory school level in Mauritius

Abstract

ABSTRACT The number of students opting for science subjects, particularly biology, beyond compulsory school level has been decreasing substantially in recent decades in Mauritius. This decline is of major concern when scientific literacy and the need for science-based employment are considered fundamental to face both local and global challenges. Although several studies have identified a range of factors to explain students’ choice of subjects and the low number of students opting for biology at post-compulsory level, there is little known about how policies respond to the issue. In this article, we explore how policies are responding, drawing on 25 biology education policy documents and focus groups with twelve students, ten educational officials and six parents. The findings of this study suggest that the actions undertaken in attempts to address the issue of poor uptake of biology could have been undertaken in a more coherent way, with an appropriate overarching policy frame to inform the actions. We argue that current policy actions are too state-centred, with policy-makers adopting a top-down approach where policies are simply meant to be implemented by schools. We also argue that more needs to be done to acknowledge and incorporate inputs from other stakeholders, including students.