L’éducation au niveau du collège Modern de Flacq se fait autrement. C’est le cas de le dire. Certes, il y a le côté académique, le côté extra-scolaire qui sont privilégiés. Mais, il faut concéder, sans risque de se tromper d’ailleurs, que ce n’est pas tous les jours qu’on constate la direction d’une institution secondaire célébrer ses meilleurs élèves si honorablement. Hier, l’évènement était trop important pour qu’EST PRESSE et www.estpresse.mu déclinent l’invitation. Au contraire, nous étions à l’heure pour suivre la cérémonie de récompense des meilleurs Modern Boys and Girls de la cuvée 2020 – 2021 du début jusqu’à la fin. Et nous avons été émerveillés, émotionnés aussi devant cette démarche de la direction du collège, menée par son doyen, M. Megnath Sanmukhiya, son fils, recteur, Dr Yogesh et sa fille Dr Shintamanee, assistante rectrice. Une demie journée vécue avec beaucoup de joie également en voyant la manière avec laquelle le Modern College démontre sa reconnaissance envers ses élèves, surtout ceux qui sont maintenant engagés dans l’étape universitaire avec cet objectif fixé de devenir des professionnels pour servir le pays avec amour et passion. A la direction, au personnel enseignant et non enseignant et aux élèves, EST PRESSE et www.estpresse.mu présentent ses plus vives félicitations. Franchement, Modern College, jadis considéré comme enn ti colez comme pour faire croire qu’il n’était pas bien vu dans la haute société, est un exemple non seulement pour les institutions secondaires de l’Est mais bien pour l’ensemble du pays. Les différents video clips marquant les différentes étapes du collège jusqu’à l’ouverture de sa nouvelle aile, récemment ouverte, projetés sur les écrans, ont, somme toute beaucoup séduit. Cette cérémonie de hier matin, même si elle a fait la part belle aux meilleurs éléments, sert aussi de motivation pour les autres élèves, ceux n’ayant pas été à la hauteur et ceux qui n’ont pas encore franchi l’étape du School Certificate. Ces deux catégories d’élèves ont dû certainement apprécier et se promettre qu’ils feront de leur mieux pour figurer sur le podium d’honneur à l’occasion des futures cérémonies semblables. La cérémonie protocolaire marquée par deux discours, celui de M. Yogesh Sanmukhiya et du représentant de l’association des parents des élèves, M. Neerunjun Sharma Nundah, a aussi été très appréciée. Incontestablement, les réflexions dans l’allocution magistralement travaillée du recteur, feront parents et élèves prendre davantage conscience du devoir et de la responsabilité de tout le monde lorsqu’il s’agit de l’éducation. Un discours qui vaut la peine d’être lu et compris à sa juste valeur et que nous publions plus bas.
Modern College is more than a collège, une école de la vie
Il va sans dire que la dernière lauréate du collège, Pallavi Aujaheb, récompensée à sa juste valeur, a été accuillie sur le podium comme the star of the institution. A EST PRESSE et www.estpresse.mu, elle s’est dite enchantée de retrouver ses enseignants et les élèves, tout en promettant de continuer à travailler dur pour son plus grand bonheur et ceux qui l’encouragent. Ouvrons une parenthèse pour dire que c’est des mains du grand patron du collège, M. Megdath Sanmukhiya, lui-même fondateur de l’institution, que la lauréate a reçu les récompenses fort bien méritées. La présence du pionnier de l’éducation des collèges privés à Flacq a vraiment apporter du baume au cœur de l’assistance. L’homme, un véritable perfectionniste dans l’âme, a su inculquer les valeurs inestimables à ses enfants et d’autres proches. Aujourd’hui, même s’il est en retrait, il sait que ses sacrifices et efforts soutenus fournis durant des décennies se reflètent dans son établissement qui commande le respect dans le pays et même ailleurs. Lui, homme très cultivé, il peut bien fredonner « Non, je ne regrette rien » d’Edith Piaf. Car, il a beaucoup accompli et tout réussi. A la vérité, Modern College est more than a college, une vraie école de la vie.
Le discours de M. Yogesh Sanmukhiya, Recteur
Good morning to all of you.
This morning I will be reading to you the Manager’s message.
On behalf of the Modern College Community, it gives me great pleasure in welcoming all of you to our Annual Prize Giving Ceremony. This event is the most important one in this institution’s calendar. This is why I wholeheartedly thank all of you for responding so favourably to our invitation to grace the function. Unfortunately we have not been able to invite all our stakeholders as in the past.
On all counts, this year’s Prize Giving Ceremony is rather out of common. Viewed in its proper context – that is: (1) against the backdrop of the disruption engendered by the pandemic; (2) the implementation of an unconventional mode of teaching, namely the online classes; and, (3) torrential rains during exam periods in April 2021, today’s prize-winners had to steer their way through numerous uncertainties.
Their feat, not only calls for a befitting celebration but also warrants due recognition of the commitment, resilience and perseverance of our heroes to forge ahead against all odds to see their efforts being eventually crowned with success.
We would have done ourselves a great disservice if we were not able to celebrate both our successes and our challenges. And so today, my dear students, we celebrate not only your extraordinary successes, but also your unflinching efforts in the teeth of adversity when we had the impression of swimming against the tide. Yet you did it.
It is precisely these qualities – hard work and resilience in the face of challenges and adversities – that the school is celebrating today.
At NCE level, we have 4 students with Aggregate 8; 7 students with Aggregate 9; and, 7 students with Aggregate 10.
At SC level, we have 15 students obtaining Aggregate 16 – 20; 10 students with Aggregate 11 – 15; and, 6 students with Aggregate 6 – 10. To crown it all, 2 candidates obtained Aggregate 6.
At HSC level, 8 students were ranked at Mauritius Top 500 Scholarship with one of them being proclaimed laureate based on Merit & Social Criteria and another one getting ranked 89th at the age of 15.
There are still others who have excelled at NCE, SC and HSC levels as well as in extra-curricular activities as outlined in this prize giving booklet.
So congratulations to all prize-winners, and in particular to Jyesthaa & Maansee for their outstanding performance at SC level, and to Chittesh, Kritish, Aafiyah, Gavin, Priya, Pallavi, Sanwar, Reema and Anav for their remarkable achievements at HSC level. All of them, in one way or the other, have taught us that effective performance is preceded by painstaking preparation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to underline that Anav sat for his HSC exams at the age of 15 and was ranked 13th at National Level in Economics Side Boys Scholarship. Pallavi, too, deserves our praise for being proclaimed laureate on Merit and Social Criteria.
These sparkling results mirror the commitment of my staff, the sustained application of my students and the continuous encouragement and support of parents at home. I seize this opportunity to thank the educational authority for the instrumental role it played in ensuring that the examinations are conducted in the best possible conditions.
Valued Guests, our success can be attributed to some well-founded beliefs, two of which we wish to share with you.
First, we have always believed that effort leads to success, not ability alone and that our altitude in life depends more on our attitude towards learning than our aptitude. In other words, no matter how much a student is gifted, he or she will not achieve much unless he or she is fully committed. By contrast, a student initially labelled as having a low IQ, but who is hardworking, motivated and responsible, always ends up as a winner.
Second, we consider intra-competition, that is competiting with oneself, as a sine qua non for unlocking one’s full potential. In this respect, we concur with Matshona Dhliwayo who avers that:
To be a champion, compete;
to be a great champion, compete with the best;
but to be the greatest champion, compete with yourself.”
Since its inception, our school culture hinges on the principle that intelligence and ability are not fixed but can be developed. Here we promote the growth mindset, that is the belief that every student can develop their skills and ability and that no hardworking pupil should be written off as unable to succeed. From this paradigm, we have noted that students get more and more motivated to take responsibility of their own learning.
On this basis, we are fine-tuning strategies to work with students tagged as weak but hardworking with a view to helping them come up with a Credit in at least 5 subjects at SC level and a minimum of grade C in all their 5 subjects at HSC level.
Esteemed Guests, technology has truthfully captured and immortalised for us the key stages of growth of this institution which we have the immense pleasure to invite you to view and appreciate via the following video clips:
Video 1: Glimpses of 2022
Video 2: Celebrating Academic Success (1988 – 2019)
Video 3: Reminiscences
Video 4: Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards
Video 5: Our HSC Feats
Video 6: Our 2021 HSC Heroes
We pray that these video clips will serve as a catalyst to those students aspiring for lofty ideals in life.
We avail ourselves of this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who were in one way or the other involved in the conception and realisation of these video clips.
My dear students, before ending my speech, I strongly urge you to make the most of your time from now till the exams in mastering all your subjects through in-depth revision.
I must point out that completion of the syllabus in no way means that you have mastered your subjects and that you will automatically obtain good grades. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, much work is required between the moment the syllabus is completed and the moment you sit for your exam. This is the time when you have lots of confusion in your mind. This can only be dispelled by working out as many challenging exam questions and exam papers under examination conditions. Don’t forget the MCQ papers where applicable. If you wish to go for at least an above-average grade, avoid selective revision.
So, set yourselves to task as from today itself as today will never come again.
Remember … If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
I thank all our stakeholders for their unflinching support in our endeavour to dispense a quality education in this rural area.
I join everybody present here to congratulate the laureates of the day and pray for the success of those who have not performed well this time.
May God bless us all and guide us always.
Thank you all for your kind attention.
