Incidentally, it all boils down to this quote from the World Intellectual Property Organization, “The kinds of works covered by copyright include: literary works such as novels, poems, plays, reference works, newspapers and computer programs”

Computer Programming is a literary work, the art of written works. And to write, one needs (i) to know prior works and (ii) to be creative and (iii) to have learned the skill.

Now, think about it, do we show students prior works? Do teachers show students beautiful software architecture or beautiful code? Was accent put on being creative? Did the teacher ask to find solutions to problems with no obvious solution where you really have to think? And did the teacher really transmitted the skill of programming? I have some doubts. You know why? Because most teachers (and most lecturers for that matter) are not programmers themselves!

Teaching programming to someone when you’re not a programmer is ineffective. As ineffective as teaching writing novels or a poem when you have never ever written one yourself.

Beside i don’t think the “project” of the CIE Computing really make student learn programming. A lot don’t. Many just copy-paste, extract codings from various sources to incorporate in theirs. They don’t know what the code in their own projects does. Many do what is stated in this article.. they magically come with a bullet-proof project on the last day. They score straight 1s in projects but got lower grades in theoretical papers. I’m in favor of a programming paper or a practical programming exam conducted in lab -as it is the case with science subjects. They will be forced to learn the programming constructs lol. I think you will also share my views on this

I guess you know BSc and MSc papers are produced in Mauritius by people like me (so preparing an HSc or SC paper would be trivial because those are just certificate level papers…) The thing is that we operate in a strict triple-control environment: The lecturer prepares the paper and the model answers, give both to one moderator who is also a lecturer locally. When the latter gives a positive feedback, the paper and the model answers are sent to an external moderator (most of the time, he/she’s a lecturer in a major university abroad) who has to vet everything. It is only then that the exam paper is submitted to the exam section for duplication, etc.

What I’m implying is that, for things to be correct, there must be some kind of moderation of marks. And when multiple markers are involved, harmonisation is pretty much essential as no two person mark in the same way.

I personally think what happened to me is even more outrageous compared to the supposed “leakage” episode that happened the same year.. Almost everyone is blaming CIE when in Mauritius itself the system is corrupted. Some persons hinted for the MES to prepare HSC papers… i lol’ed.

I can’t judge the honesty of markers. But I would really like to know if there is any harmonisation process (in order to make sure that everyone has marked according to the same criteria and using the same metrics.)

I did computing in 2007 and retook it in 2008.. There are 2 projects to be submitted. I carry forward one of the project[pap.4]. The other one [pap.2] cannot be carried forward and need to be re submitted. First time i had obtained a grade 1 in the project (Paper 2) [-the teacher at the time even made a sample project out of my project because it was excellent! ] and the Second time i got a 4! [Different teacher] Most shocking is that it is an improved project over the last. Everything in my program was working and i included all the elements needed (according to syllabus) in the program. My former teacher even made my project a sample project for other student to follow from. The Syllabus has not change, marking is the same. How can 1 become 4??

This downgraded my result for computing and overall result. I got B instead of A in computing because of this! In theoretical paper i got 1 P1 and 3 P2. I know other candidates got worst than this in theory but still got A because they got 1 in both projects.
In most elite colleges MOST student got no worse than 3. Because they know their students is competing .. I’ve seen other project poorer than mine scoring 1s or 2s.

I met the teacher and he said to me the worst mark he gave (to all students) was 3. Consequently i and 3 other students (same situation as mine) had to gather +8000rs to do a remarking for the entire center (u can’t just remark for a single student). The verdict finally came & CIE said that it was the teacher who allocated this mark so CIE cannot improve a teacher’s marks!

The teacher claim is thus false. Only 1 student got a 1 in our school and the relation between them was very close! I don’t know what they did “sous tapis”. I worked hard on my project and was not rewarded at all! I sent a letter to the director of MES, to Mr. Bunwaree and my rector but got no answer. “A bon entendeur, salut!” Btw, now i am doing CSE @ UoM.

THIS IS A DISGRACE AND TOTALLY UNFAIR!

True. So many fundamentals are wrongly taught in Mauritius. I love this saying: “Lorsque le sage montre la lune du doigt, l’imbécile regarde le doigt.”

I feel we focus way too much on the finger instead of the moon. I am always amazed when I ask students WHY they studied something (e.g. differentiation) and they have no clue. I don’t even mention that practically no one knows WHO did the invention (as history is not really our forte.)

To Dilraj:

You’re right about us being a nation of certificates. And also right about people plagiarising at all levels.

This is sadly a true reality. In Mauritius, too much emphasis is placed on the importance of a certificate. Not so much attention is given to the process of learning, gaining knowledge, and discovering one-self.

That’s from CPE, where we’re engineered to succeed, even cheat, at all costs. And when it comes to secondary school, kids are not used to doing their homework, but copying from friends. And then, it’s no surprise that projects and other dissertations also are copied/given to someone else to be made.

And parents? Well, they want their kids to get A grades at all costs. And they are ready to put up all means to do achieve this.

And that’s why, in Mauritius, we’re a nation full of highly qualified people when it comes to certificates, but not good at inventing things, at finding solutions to our problems in everyday life, at doing things, etc.

And things don’t stop here. Even at university, things go the same. And even PhD holders copy thesis…

A nation so good when it comes to certificates…