Mauritius
The Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA) was established as a body corporate under the Mauritius Qualifications Authority Act 2001 and falls under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research.
The Technical Education sector is regulated by the Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA) which also develops and maintains the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The Mauritian NQF is made up of 10 levels and ranges from the PSAC (ex-CPE) (Level 1) to Doctorate (Level 10). The Mauritian NQF is classified into 3 segments whereby the first segment comprises qualifications in the primary/secondary education (Level 1 to 5). The second segment pertains to qualifications in the TVET/Workplace sector and it encompasses all levels of the NQF. The third segment caters for post-secondary/tertiary qualifications at level 6 to 10 from undergraduates to post-graduate qualifications. The NQF is also encouraging lifelong learning through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). The assessment is done jointly by the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) and the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD). There are reforms in the Mauritius Education and Training System, in the form of the introduction of the Nine Year Continuous Basic Education (NYCBE) which is being implemented as from the year 2017, in line with SGD4.
The MQA being the regulator of TVET in the country has by virtue of the Mauritius Qualifications Authority Act 2001, the responsibility to register and accredit training institutions in Mauritius. All staff working for examinations (Paper Setters, moderators, examiners, markers, supervisors and invigilators) are provided adequate training to ensure integrity, reliability and validity of examinations. Quality assurance faces the challenge of quality of assessors.
The Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science & Technology presently operates 6 Technical Institutions under its aegis along with three campuses operating under the responsibility of Mauritius Polytechnics Limited (PML).
The main provider of TVET in Mauritius is the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development, under the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research. The Human Resource Development Council, also operating under the Ministry, facilitates training through the management of the training levy/grant scheme in the country. Other stakeholders include the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate, which has the mandate to organise and conduct examinations in Mauritius both for general/academic and TVET programmes.