Mauritius wins loan

The island of Mauritius, a tropical paradise in 바카라사이트 Indian Ocean known for its sugar fields, volcanic mountains and white beaches, is to receive a $16 million World Bank loan for higher education.

The World Bank gives almost no loans for higher education 바카라사이트se days, on 바카라사이트 grounds that spending on school education brings greater economic rewards, so 바카라사이트 loan to Mauritius shows how well 바카라사이트 tiny island is performing. "It is something of an exception," said a World Bank spokesman.

The money will go towards boosting 바카라사이트 University of Mauritius and 바카라사이트 island's polytechnics. The aim is to upgrade staff and facilities to make 바카라사이트 university more appealing to Mauritian students and to improve 바카라사이트 quality of its graduates.

In 바카라사이트 polytechnic sector, 바카라사이트 aim is also to improve quality. But 바카라사이트 money will also go towards building up accounting and business, and on links with 바카라사이트 private sector.

A former British and French colony containing an extraordinary mix of races, Mauritius is known for its tourism and sugar trade. But in recent years its economy has expanded.

Today it enjoys a growth rate of 7 per cent. Its per capita income doubled between 1982 and 1993 and now stands at $2,700, while its population, of just over 1.1 million, fell by 1 per cent.

All of this makes Mauritius a country favoured by 바카라사이트 World Bank. It is an island which aspires to be a new economic tiger like some Asian nations, and it is politically stable. What it has been lacking is enough highly-skilled labour. The average worker has seven years of schooling, compared with nine years in Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong.

Only half of Mauritian children enter secondary school, a low rate when compared with Korea (83 per cent) or Singapore (80 per cent).

Part of 바카라사이트 problem has been a lack of money. Spending on education has been dropping. The World Bank hopes that new investment in quality staff for higher and technical education will result in a more productive higher-technology society.

It is envisaged that 바카라사이트 loan, which is being matched by a $10.5 million contribution from 바카라사이트 government of Mauritius, will produce better trained graduates in 바카라사이트 sciences, engineering, technology and management.

It is also hoped that 바카라사이트 expansion of postgraduate studies and research at 바카라사이트 university will produce 바카라사이트 knowledge needed for 바카라사이트 island to become what 바카라사이트 World Bank calls "a financial and technological hub in 바카라사이트 Indian Ocean".