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Hello!

I have just read coincidentally your message.

Concerning schools: if you and your husband are both foreigners your kids are not allowed to go here to a government school. There are 2 school systems in MRU: french or english. In Moka there is either the internat. school (Clavis/Bocage)or l'ecole du centre.

How old are your kids? Where are you from? Where have you lived before?

I am from Germany, married to a Mauritian and live since 12 years in Mauritius. We have 2 kids. They are both now on a secondary school, College Sainte Marie(catholic private school, english school system)in Quatre Bornes. This school I can really recommend, it is also not as expensive as Bocage and further on, there are many sportive activities. It is a small school with max. 15 pupils in each class. The pupils are either foreigners or Mauritians, there are muslim kids as well as hindu or creole kids. The school offers workshops, the teachers are young and there is a good relation between teachers and pupils. Look at    But school year begins in January! So the kids are since mid of Jan. back in school.
Bocage doesn't offer any extra activities, no sports as far as I know. And till now I have never heard a good feedback of the parents. I rather know some, who took off their kids from this school.

We also live in Quatre Bornes and I prefer living in the center of this island than in the North, South or even East. Here you have all facilities: schools, shops or big shopping centers, cinemas, clubs, restaurants, doctors, clinics (several!), banks are reached easily. Most of the offices are in Cybercity or Port Louis. If you want to go to the beach, it takes 15 Min. to Flic-en-Flac or Wolmar. If you want to go to he South (Airport) it is within 30 Min. drive on the motorway, to the North maybe 50 Min. because of traffic jam.

The South is boring, please excuse, it is my personal opinion, but there is only the beach, it means living in a village. And how often do you want to be at the beach??? Especially, if you would like to work, as well?! There are no clinics, schools, good restaurants or clubs. It is just near to the airport. By the way, my husband works also at the airport and in half an hour he reaches his workplace and on that motorway, there is never a traffic jam. It is easy to drive.

Imagine, your kids maybe even will have a school bus from Blue Bay to Moka, but how long it takes them to reach school? In the morning there is up from Curepipe traffic jam on the Motorway to the North, which they have to take! Let's say they have to leave home 1 1/2 hours before school starts. If school ends, there will be again traffic jam.

Me, I am new in this blog. I have advertised our houses for rent.
Unfortunately, you will come in June, otherwise I could have offered you one of our houses...but there are also situated in Q.B.

Hope I could help you with my answer. To find a good school is really a big job. In case you are looking for a primary school, there is an international one in Quatre Bornes and another one in the North.

Feel free to contact me, if you have more questions.


Kind regards, bye
reinbek

Thank you for your reply.. There is much to consider .. Ange

Hi, Just to let you know not all the schools start their academic year in January.  There is IPS (primary) and Northfields (secondary) which  start in September.  They are both in the North so probably no good for you but worth checking out.  I'm not sure about the schools in other areas.  When we were deciding where to live we did it based on the schools as we didn't want our child travelling for hours to and from school.  Also, I think it's important for them to live near their school friends so they can have play days.  It also depends on the hours your husband will be working as even if the distance isn't far it can take hours in the rush hour especially passing through Port Louis.

hello reinbek, looks like you have a lot of knowledge about schools in mru.
we are in the process to settle in mru soon, we are as well Germans, couple with plenty kids but one left with us at schooling age, 14. he was brought up in french education systems, hence we prefer him to continue in french.
since we wish to settle in the Tamarin/Black River area, we have opted for the COLLEGE PIERRE POIVRE  do you have any experiences/info or whatsoever about this school? or any other french school in the area?
eager to hear from you, aquawatch

Hallo Aquawatch!

I am in a rush...: in Tamarin there is a french private Primary School "Paul et Virginie". The reputation was 3 years ago not really good, maybe it has changed now...  there is a new rector, whom I know from before when she taught at the Primary School in Vacoas where my kids went. The rector was a very good teacher, but I don't know, if she is teaching in P&V, because of her position. Ecole du centre is situated in Moka, and is a good school.
In Curepipe there is the french school Lycee de Labourdonnais which is also a good school.

English School System> Primary School> I would always recommend Lorette de Vacoas (private catholic), where kids of all different  religions are together. It's a top school, teachers are very good and they offer a lot of extra activities, which you can also chose. Teachers make really efforts to teach the kids, to motivate and help them, they take time and there was always a good communication between school and parents! Classes are quite full, around 30 pupils. It is not easy to get a place, time limit for registration is, I think, till end of this month for next year. School year starts in January!
Generally, I must let you know, that here, there is discipline, kids have to respect the teachers and other kids. Even the language is much more polite! And kids get punished, if they misbehave. It is not as in Germany....

Regards and good luck
reinbek

Hi Aquawatch!

Just to let you know; in Tamarin they have in summer season only for 1 1/2 hour water per day and for 1 1/2 hour water per night.
You must look to have a water tank, better two...

bye,
reinbek

moin reinbeck, thanks a lot that you are concerned about our well beeing on the island. i am a water and renewable energies engineer by profession and earn my life by consulting water authorities like CWA and WMA since many years in africa. suppose i know what to do:)
btw, where are u from in DE? 

have a nice one.   aquawatch