Like many developing countries, Mauritius has invested massively in its education system in the hope of redressing inequalities among its ethnically mixed population and developing the economy through the provision of manpower. But Mauritius is a very economically troubled country, and providing educational equity will be extremely difficult. In general, at present, Mauritian schools are inefficient, and suffer from high drop-out rates, high illiteracy, a lack of teaching and learning materials, and an inadequate supply of suitably trained teachers. There is a wide disparity between what the schools are providing and what employers want and need. Moreover, educational opportunities are unfairly distributed: urban schools are much better than rural schools, and government-sponsored education is ineffectual in dealing with the consequences of their students' poverty. Despite these problems, the Maurituan education system is genuinely geared towards meeting the demands of equity and efficiency as best it can. (KH)