Mauritius Launches Parkour+ Educational Project to Enhance Language Skills

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources in Mauritius has launched Parkour+, a project designed to enhance the linguistic and disciplinary competencies of students. The initiative was introduced on September 24, 2026, at the Institut français de Maurice, in the presence of the minister. Parkour+ aims to address the challenges faced by students who grow up, think, and learn in multiple languages. According to Preetam Mohitram, Ag Assistant Director, E-Education and Technical Education & Project Manager, the project seeks to leverage the linguistic diversity of Mauritian students to facilitate learning.

Mauritius is a deeply multilingual country, where Creole is the vernacular language spoken by the majority of the population. In schools, English is the official language of instruction, while French is widely used in social life, media, and many families. Parkour+ builds on this reality, using students' existing language skills as a foundation for new learning. The project encourages the use of Creole as a mediating language to explain, reformulate, or verify understanding before consolidating knowledge in French.

The Parkour+ project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, the Ambassade de France à Maurice, and other stakeholders, including the Mauritius Institute of Education and the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate. The project will be implemented in 24 selected schools, 20 in Mauritius and 4 in Rodrigues, with 12 primary schools and 12 secondary schools participating. The program will start in Grade 4 for primary school students, Grade 7 for secondary school students, and Grade 10 in one academy.

The core objective of Parkour+ is to enable students to learn better and more effectively by building on their existing language skills. The project introduces a new approach to language learning, where French is taught not only as a subject but also as a means of learning other subjects, such as science. Students will use French to observe experiments, formulate hypotheses, and present the results of their work.

Parkour+ also emphasizes the development of digital resources to support language learning. Bilingual digital resources will be created in collaboration with teachers, linguists, and educational technology experts. These resources will be tailored to the linguistic, cultural, and technological contexts of Mauritian students.

The project encourages a variety of learning approaches, including reading, podcasts, interviews, and project-based learning. Students will have opportunities to participate, experiment, create, and express themselves in a range of contexts. According to Preetam Mohitram, the success of Parkour+ depends on the involvement of teachers and schools in the development and implementation of the project.

Parkour+ aims to promote a culture of linguistic diversity and inclusivity in Mauritian schools. By leveraging the linguistic resources that students already possess, the project seeks to enhance their confidence and competence in multiple languages. The project's impact will be closely monitored, and its findings will inform future educational initiatives in Mauritius.

Key points

• Parkour+ is a multilingual educational project that aims to enhance language skills in Mauritian schools.
• The project uses students' existing language skills as a foundation for new learning.
• Parkour+ promotes a culture of linguistic diversity and inclusivity in Mauritian schools.