An Education for Citizens of a Better World
A BRIEF GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
MAURITIUS
Mauritius is an island republic 550 km east of Madagascar in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It is known for its beautiful beaches and luxurious accommodation for the tourist and traveller, and for its unique flora and fauna. The island is a multicultural democracy, the population being a harmonious mixture of immigrants from Africa, Europe, the Indian subcontinent and China. Mauritius boasts a pleasant 16 to 30 C climate all year round, and due to its maritime situation there is a constant breeze to ward off high humidity.HISTORY OF LE BOCAGE
Le Bocage International School (LBIS) was incorporated in 1989 by PROGOS, a non-profit making company constituted solely for the purpose of creating and operating a fee-paying, English-based international school in Mauritius, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education. LBIS officially opened its doors in January 1990. In the ten years since its inception, the school has grown rapidly and has achieved an international character since it now provides a sound education responsive to the needs of a growing local and foreign population within the expanding Mauritian business community. LBIS is accredited by the Mauritian Ministry of Education and is a member of the Association of International Schools in Africa and the Near East/ South Asian Council of Overseas Schools.SCHOOL SITE
LBIS is located on the slopes of Mount Ory, just off the motorway between Plaines Wilhems and the capital Port Louis. From there it commands a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and plains leading down to the Indian Ocean. Currently there are thirty-three teaching rooms including three experimental science laboratories, two computer rooms, two art studios, a home economics laboratory and a library. There is also a hall with a stage. Due to the climate, the sports programme is mainly conducted outdoors on a large playing field and two multi-purpose hard court surfaces. An auditorium and indoor sports facilities are planned for 2000.STUDENT BODY
In 1999, there were 570 students enrolled in Forms 1-7 (UK years 7-13, US grades 6-12). Twenty-three nationalities are currently represented. Students come from all levels of society, with the majority from the professional/ middle class. Most are bilingual. The present student/ teacher ratio is 11:1. No class contains more than 25 students, with the average currently at fewer than 20. The small class size ensures that each student receives more personal teacher attention, and that progress is closely followed by the teaching faculty.PHILOSOPHY
Education at Le Bocage is informed by the school philosophy of teaching each child to be self-reliant, self-disciplined, inquiring, moral, tolerant, critical, knowledgeable, skilful, industrious and community-spirited. The curriculum at LBIS is international and embodies the philosophy of the school. Teaching objectives are skill as well as content driven: not just “what do you know?” but “what can you do with that knowledge?”.
