Pamplemousses, 05 September 2022: The Dukesbridge Group, which is the largest chain of private schools in Mauritius, held the launch ceremony for its third Primary school in Mauritius, named Dukesbridge North, located in Pamplemousses, on 5 September 2022.
The new campus was inaugurated by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Education for Mauritius, the Hon. Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, with eminent personalities from the Government of Australia, students, parents the management team at Dukesbridge in full attendance. The ceremony kicked off with a dramatic arts performance of students which reflects the school’s philosophy on developing all-rounder individuals.
The Hon. Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun congratulated Dukesbridge’s founders, Rishi and Shannon Nursimulu, for their determination to contribute to the growth and diversification of the Mauritian education sector.
“Dukesbridge has been a player in the education system of our country since 2014 and now has a number of schools that are operational across the island. This is a clear indication of the recognition and support that Dukesbridge as an institution has gained from parents and the community. The government believes in the quality of education and ensuring that there is diversity in the offer. It is interesting to know that today nobody judges the school purely on the quality of infrastructure – important as that is – but almost all of us use as a yardstick the quality of educational services provided. If we want to see the emergence of our island, our education system needs to develop a generation of young adults equipped with the right values, knowledge, skills, and attitude, and to lay the foundation for others to develop core competencies – critical thinking, adaptability, creativity, ability to work collaboratively, good communication skills, and being solution driven,” she emphasised.
The Dukesbridge Group is officially accredited by the Government of Australia, in particular the Department of Education of Western Australia, and has a growing presence in East Africa. There are currently 10 Pre-Primary schools and 3 Primary schools (including Dukesbridge North) across the island with Dukesbridge Secondary School due to start in 2023 in Trianon.
The Minister noted that the emergence and growth of reputed private schools such as Dukesbridge is in line with the direction that the country’s education reform agenda has been taking, with new programmes and an adapted curriculum being introduced since 2015 that aims at the holistic development of the learners. She also emphasised that Mauritius has come up with a health and wellness directorate, as well as a system that ensures not only the physical but also social and emotional wellbeing of its learners.
For her part, Shannon Nursimulu credited the success of the school to the school faculty and management staff, led by Kirsty Lallchand, Head of Dukesbridge Primary School. She noted that the new campus in Mon Goût, Pamplemousses, has taken over a year to build, with construction completed in May 2022, and the children moving in and starting lessons in July 2022.
“Dukesbridge was born out of a dream that Rishi had to sow back into his community after having been a national Laureate a few decades ago. We started the first school 8 years ago and today we are present in 13 locations in Mauritius and 2 locations in Kenya. Our motto is ‘teaching happiness’ and this drives everything we do at school,” she highlighted.
Finally, Rose Smith, Principal Consultant for Early Childhood in the International Education team at the Government of Western Australia’s School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), said: “On behalf of the SCSA, I would like to congratulate Dukesbridge on becoming the first school in Africa to be licensed and accredited to deliver the Western Australian Curriculum. The holistic nature of the school is building the capacity of each student, which gives us confidence that your children are being well prepared for the future as 21st century lifelong learners and to be successful global citizens. We hope to welcome some of them to the universities of Western Australia and our tertiary institutions. We would like to acknowledge Rishi and Shannon and their pursuit to offer an alternative education for the children here in Mauritius by offering a holistic and integrated curriculum designed to make a real difference to your child’s life.”
Dukesbridge has chosen Mon Goût, Pamplemousses, as the site for its third Primary school in view of its prime location at the heart of the Northern villages, on the main road linking the north east with the motorway. Many students are coming from areas such as Goodlands and Grand Bay in the north, with others coming from the outskirts of Port-Louis and Terre Rouge.
The campus can accommodate 450 students, with approximately 20 children per class. There are currently one Grade 3, two Grade 2 and two Grade 1 classes, and the first batch of Grade 4 students will begin in 2023. There are almost 300 children in the North campus (nursery to primary) and there are still places available, although they are filling up quickly. Dukesbridge does not seek to fill up the school right away, but rather aims to grow with its students.
