SC and HSC Candidates Struggle as Riots Disrupt Mauritius Exams

Thousands of Mauritian students sitting their School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) national examinations are facing serious disruption after a wave of civil unrest, vandalism and transport breakdowns swept across the island in mid-October.

The SC and HSC are the two most important school-leaving qualifications in Mauritius, broadly equivalent to GCSEs and A-levels in the British system. They are administered by the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate and determine university entry and career pathways for students aged around 17 to 19.

Damage to stations along the Metro Express, the light rail network connecting Port Louis to Curepipe through the central towns of Rose-Hill and Quatre Bornes, caused severe disruptions to public transport at the very moment students needed it most. Bus services were also affected by the broader unrest, leaving many candidates without a reliable way to reach their exam centres.

For one mother, identified only as Gianella to protect her daughter's privacy, the past week has been a nightmare. Her 17-year-old daughter is currently sitting her SC examinations at a centre in Rose-Hill, a central town located roughly midway between Port Louis and Curepipe. On Tuesday 13 October, the teenager was due to sit her biology paper. Because of the chaos surrounding the unrest, exam sessions were cancelled and the girl arrived late to her centre. She was granted extra time the following day to complete the paper, adding further pressure to an already stressful period.

The family's ordeal did not stop there. With public transport still unreliable, they had no choice but to hire a private taxi to ensure she made it to her mathematics paper. The same arrangement was needed again on Thursday, adding unexpected financial strain on top of the emotional toll.

Gianella's story reflects a situation playing out across the country. Parents are expressing anger and distress at being forced to scramble for private transport, often at short notice and significant cost, simply to get their children to school on a normal day, let alone during national exams.

What this means: For SC and HSC candidates, missing or arriving late to an exam paper can have consequences that affect their entire academic and professional future. While authorities have in some cases granted additional time to affected students, there is no guarantee of uniform treatment across all centres. Families without the means to hire taxis are the most vulnerable. The disruption is a reminder of how quickly civil unrest can ripple beyond the immediate events and into the everyday lives of ordinary Mauritians, particularly young people at a critical turning point.

Source: ION News