VAREMONT INSIGHTS

Schools & Education in Mauritius for Expat Families

Curricula, Admissions, Fees, Locations & Choosing the Right School in 2026

Quick answer

Expat families in Mauritius can choose between English-medium international schools, French-curriculum schools and the Mauritian education system. Popular international pathways include Cambridge/IGCSE, the International Baccalaureate and the French national curriculum through AEFE-linked schools. Places can be limited in particular year groups, so families should contact schools before finalising housing. Compare curriculum continuity, admissions, total first-year cost, learning support, languages, school calendar and the real home-to-school journey – not tuition fees alone.

SCHOOL OPTIONS

What school options are available to expat children in Mauritius?

The main choices can be grouped into four broad pathways:

Pathway	What it can offer	Often relevant for
Mauritian state system	English-based government schooling within the national education framework. Schooling is compulsory through the end of the academic year in which a child reaches 16.	Families seeking integration into the local system and prepared to assess language, curriculum and transition implications.
English-medium international schools	International or British-oriented pathways, often including Cambridge IGCSE and/or IB programmes.	Families arriving from the UK or other English-medium systems, or seeking internationally portable qualifications.
French / AEFE pathway	French national curriculum through schools accredited within the French overseas education network.	French-speaking families or families expecting future continuity with France or another AEFE school.
IB pathway	Inquiry-led programmes at primary level and/or IB programmes at secondary and diploma level, depending on the school.	Internationally mobile families wanting an internationally recognised framework and potential continuity between IB schools.

CURRICULA

Which curricula can families choose?

Cambridge and IGCSE

Several English-medium schools in Mauritius use Cambridge programmes, with IGCSE commonly forming part of the secondary pathway. For a child coming from a British or British-international school, this can reduce disruption, particularly around Years 10 and 11 when two-year examination courses are underway.

International Baccalaureate

Mauritius also has schools offering IB programmes. Clavis International Primary School is an IB Primary Years Programme school for younger children. Le Bocage International School offers IB pathways at secondary level and also provides an IGCSE option in Forms 4 and 5. Northfields offers international programmes that include IGCSE and the IB Diploma at later stages.

French national curriculum / AEFE

Mauritius has a network of French schools accredited within the AEFE framework. This can be particularly valuable for families moving from France, another French school abroad or expecting a future return to the French system. École du Nord in Mapou provides French-system schooling through 3ème, with progression available within the Mauritius French-school network. Lycée La Bourdonnais and Lycée des Mascareignes are among the other established French-system options on the island.

SCHOOL EXAMPLES

Examples of schools expat families commonly consider

The table below is a practical orientation tool, not a ranking. Availability, programmes, campuses and fees can change, so each family should verify the current position directly with the school.

School / area	Indicative pathway	Useful planning point
Northfields International School – Mapou / North	International English-medium; Cambridge/IGCSE and IB pathways, with primary provision.	Useful for families considering the North. Published 2026/27 fee schedules distinguish Mauritian and expatriate categories.
École du Nord – Mapou / North	French national curriculum / AEFE network; multilingual provision.	Strong continuity option for French-system families. The school has published waiting lists for some 2026/27 year groups.
Greencoast International School – Beau Plan / North	English-medium international schooling with Cambridge-oriented provision.	Adds another northern option; confirm current year groups and admissions directly.
Clavis International Primary School – Moka and Beau Champ	English-medium IB Primary Years Programme.	Primary-focused option. The school publishes separate non-Mauritian fees and provides French/French-as-an-additional-language support.
Le Bocage International School – Moka	IB Middle Years, Diploma and Career-related programmes; IGCSE option at Forms 4-5.	Secondary option for families considering the central region and IB continuity.
Lycée La Bourdonnais – Curepipe	French national curriculum through lycée level.	Established French-system route; 2026/27 fees are published by level.
Westcoast International Secondary School – Cascavelle / West	Cambridge IGCSE and IB Diploma.	Relevant to families living on the West Coast; the school was developed partly to reduce long school journeys from the west.

LOCATION

North, West or Central Mauritius: why school location matters

A school that is academically suitable can still be the wrong practical choice if the daily journey is unsustainable. Mauritius is compact on a map, but peak-hour traffic and school drop-off patterns can make commuting much longer than families expect.

Families considering Grand Baie, Mapou, Beau Plan, Pointe aux Canonniers, Pereybère or other northern locations will naturally look closely at northern schools. Families settling around Moka or the central plateau have access to several established international and French-system schools. Families choosing Tamarin, Black River, Flic-en-Flac or Cascavelle should examine west-coast options before assuming that a central or northern school will be practical every day.

VAREMONT PRACTICAL POINT

Shortlist the school first, then test the journey from the exact neighbourhood you are considering at real school-run times. A beautiful house can quickly become the wrong relocation choice if children spend an excessive part of every day in the car.

SCHOOL FEES

How much do international schools cost in Mauritius?

There is no single Mauritius international-school fee. Fees vary materially by school, year group, nationality or fee category, and programme. Families should also distinguish annual tuition from the amount of cash required in the first year.

For example, Northfields publishes separate 2026/27 schedules by year group and expatriate status. Clavis currently publishes non-Mauritian monthly fees ranging from MUR 19,300 x 11 months for Pre-Reception to MUR 30,400 x 11 months for a first child in Years 1-6, plus registration charges. Lycée La Bourdonnais publishes 2026/27 annual tuition from MUR 156,000 at pre-elementary level to MUR 226,000 at lycée level, with separate first-registration charges for some categories.

These examples should not be treated as a market average. They illustrate why families need a written first-year cost from each shortlisted school.

TOTAL COST

Ask for the total cost, not just tuition

• Application or assessment fee.
• First-registration, inception or enrolment fee.
• Refundable deposit and the conditions for its return.
• Annual or monthly tuition.Books, technology and learning resources.
• Examination fees.
• School transport.
• Meals and uniforms.
• Trips, camps and extracurricular activities.
• Additional learning or language support, where separately charged.

For families with two or three children, these differences can materially change the relocation budget. Ask the school to confirm the total first-year cash requirement for each child before making a housing or employment decision.

WHEN TO APPLY

What documents should parents prepare?

Requirements differ by school, but an expat family should be ready to assemble a complete education file for each child. This commonly includes:

• Passport and identity documents.
• Birth certificate.
• Recent school reports and transcripts.
• Current year-group and curriculum information.
• Teacher or school recommendations where requested.
• Learning-support, educational psychologist or specialist reports where relevant.
• Vaccination or medical information where requested.
• Proof of Mauritius address or planned accommodation if required.
• Parent or guardian details and immigration/residence documents where applicable.

If documents are not in the language requested by the school, ask whether certified translations are needed before arranging them.

ENTRANCE ASSESSMENTS

Will my child need an entrance test or assessment?

Possibly. Schools use assessments for different reasons: to decide admission, to determine the appropriate year group, to understand language level or to identify support needs.

For example, École du Nord states that pupils entering from outside the French Education Nationale or AEFE system must complete paid placement assessments. Other international schools may request school reports, confidential recommendations, interviews or age-appropriate assessments as part of admissions.

Parents should ask what the assessment is designed to measure and whether it can be completed remotely before the family relocates.

FRENCH LANGUAGE

What if my child does not speak French?

A non-French-speaking child is not automatically excluded from the French-school route, but the age of the child and the level of language support matter. École du Nord, for example, describes a specific French-acquisition pathway for beginners in primary school, alongside substantial English-language teaching.

The important question is not simply whether a school says it is bilingual or multilingual. Ask how many hours are taught in each language, what happens in the classroom when a new child cannot yet follow the main teaching language, how long additional support normally lasts and whether that support carries an extra cost.

ADDITIONAL LEARNING SUPPORT

What if my child needs additional learning support?

This should be discussed before admission, not after arrival. The availability and depth of support can vary by school and campus.

Clavis, for example, describes inclusion support at its campuses while noting that resources at its newer Beau Champ campus are still developing. That kind of detail matters to a family whose child requires regular specialist support.

Parents should provide relevant reports early and ask direct questions about staffing, in-class support, learning plans, examination accommodations, speech or occupational therapy links, counselling and any additional fees. The objective is not simply to secure a place, but to establish whether the school can realistically meet the child’s needs.

SCHOOL YEAR

What school year does Mauritius follow?

Do not assume every school follows the same calendar. The Mauritian national system and different private/international schools can operate on different academic-year patterns. French-system schools generally follow an August/September-to-June rhythm, while some English-medium international schools use different calendars.

This matters particularly for families moving from the UK, France, South Africa, Dubai or another international school. Before deciding the transfer date, ask the receiving school which year group the child will enter, whether a mid-year entry is accepted and whether the child would repeat or skip any curriculum content.

WHEN TO MOVE THE CHILDREN

Is it better to move children at the start of a school year?

Where possible, starting at the beginning of the receiving school’s academic year can make social and academic integration easier. But international families do not always have that flexibility, and many schools are accustomed to pupils arriving from other systems.

For older children, the curriculum stage matters more than the calendar alone. Moving in the middle of IGCSE, IB Diploma, French brevet or baccalauréat preparation can create subject and syllabus mismatches. For teenagers, obtain a subject-by-subject transition review from the receiving school before confirming the move.

HOW TO COMPARE SCHOOLS

How should families compare schools beyond the prospectus?

Parent discussions online repeatedly raise the same problem: websites explain curriculum and facilities, but they do not tell you whether a particular child will be happy and supported there. A campus visit – or at least a detailed video meeting – should therefore go beyond the admissions presentation.

Questions worth asking during a school visit

• How many pupils are in the class my child would actually join?
• How long have the teachers in that section typically been at the school?
• How are new international pupils integrated socially?
• What happens if a child arrives below or above the class level in maths or English/French?
• What learning-support and counselling resources are available?
• How much homework is typical for this age?
• How common is private tuition outside school?
• What extracurricular activities are genuinely available to this year group?
• How does school transport work from the neighbourhood we are considering?
• What are the actual university destinations or next-school pathways for recent pupils?
• What happens if we leave Mauritius after two or three years?

For a child old enough to express a view, involve them in the visit. Curriculum fit matters, but so do friendships, confidence, language and whether the child can imagine belonging in the school.

SCHOOL OR HOUSE FIRST?

Should you choose your Mauritius home around the school?

For families with school-age children, often yes – at least initially. School is a fixed journey repeated twice a day, five days a week. Many other parts of Mauritius life are more flexible.

A family relocating to the North should not automatically choose a central school because it appears attractive online without testing the commute. Equally, a family whose preferred curriculum is only available in another region may decide that the school should determine the residential area.

This is why school search, property search and residence planning should be coordinated rather than handled as three separate projects.

SCHOOL-SELECTION TABLE

A practical school-selection process for relocating families

Stage	Action
1	Identify each child’s current curriculum, year group, languages and any support needs.
2	Decide whether continuity with the British/Cambridge, IB, French/AEFE or Mauritian system matters most.
3	Shortlist schools by curriculum AND realistic residential area.
4	Contact admissions and confirm availability for the exact year group and intended entry date.
5	Request the complete first-year fee schedule, including deposits and extras.
6	Send school records and complete any assessment or interview.
7	Visit the campus and ask about class size, language support, inclusion, transport and transition.
8	Only after a realistic school option is secured, finalise the family’s housing location.
9	Coordinate school start, residence documentation, medical cover, transport and the physical move.
10	For older pupils, confirm subject equivalence and future university-entry implications before transferring.

COMMON MISTAKES

Common mistakes expat families should avoid

• Choosing a house before checking school availability and commute.
• Comparing tuition only and ignoring first-registration fees, deposits, transport and extras.
• Assuming all international schools follow the same academic calendar.
• Changing curriculum during an examination programme without checking subject equivalence.
• Assuming “bilingual” means the same teaching-language balance at every school.
• Waiting until arrival in Mauritius before contacting admissions.
• Not disclosing learning-support needs until after admission.
• Choosing a school on reputation alone rather than fit for the individual child.
• Ignoring what happens when the family eventually leaves Mauritius and the child must transfer again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there international schools in Mauritius?

Yes. Mauritius has English-medium international schools, French-system schools and schools offering Cambridge and International Baccalaureate programmes, alongside the Mauritian education system.

What are the main international curricula in Mauritius?

Families can find Cambridge/IGCSE, International Baccalaureate and French national curriculum pathways. The exact programme depends on the school and year group.

Are there French schools in Mauritius?

Yes. Mauritius has French schools within the AEFE network, providing continuity with the French national curriculum from early years through secondary education across the network.

Are there British schools in Mauritius?

Mauritius has English-medium international schools offering British-oriented and Cambridge pathways, including IGCSE. Parents should check the exact curriculum rather than relying only on the label “British school”.

Can expat children attend public schools in Mauritius?

Foreign families can investigate the Mauritian system, but admission, documentation, language and placement should be confirmed with the relevant authorities and school. Government schools are English-based, while fee-paying schools may follow English or French models.

Is school compulsory in Mauritius?

Mauritius law requires children to attend school through the end of the academic year in which they reach age 16, subject to the applicable statutory framework.

How much are international school fees in Mauritius?

There is no single fee. Costs vary by school, year group, nationality/fee category and programme. Families should obtain the current schedule and calculate tuition plus registration, deposits, transport, exams and other extras.

Do international schools charge expats more?

Some schools publish separate Mauritian and expatriate or non-Mauritian fee schedules. Others use different categories. Always ask which schedule applies to your child.

Should we apply to schools before moving to Mauritius?

Yes. For families whose move depends on a particular school or curriculum, admissions should be explored before housing is finalised. Some year groups can have waiting lists.

Can my child join during the school year?

Possibly, depending on the school, available places, year group and curriculum stage. Mid-year entry can be more complicated for examination years, so confirm directly with admissions.

Which area of Mauritius is best for families with school-age children?

There is no single best area. The practical choice depends on the school, parents’ work, lifestyle and acceptable commute. The North, central region and West Coast each have schooling options.

What is the best international school in Mauritius?

There is no single school that is best for every child. Curriculum continuity, language, age, learning needs, location, school culture, budget and future education plans are more useful criteria than a general ranking.

Can a child move from a UK school to Mauritius?

Yes, but parents should map the child’s current year and subjects against the receiving school. This is especially important once IGCSE or other two-year examination courses have begun.

Can a child move from the French system to Mauritius?

Yes. The AEFE network in Mauritius can provide strong continuity for pupils already in the French national curriculum, subject to places and admissions requirements.

Should we choose the school or the house first?

For most relocating families with school-age children, shortlist and confirm realistic school options first. Then choose housing that makes the daily school journey workable.

BEFORE RELOCATING

Before relocating with childre

For a family, the school decision is not an isolated education decision. It affects property, commuting, residence timing, household budget, social integration and often whether the relocation works at all.

Start with the children: their curriculum, languages, personality, support needs and future pathway. Then identify schools that can realistically meet those needs, confirm availability and understand the true cost. Only then should the family lock in the residential area and the wider relocation timetable.

VAREMONT PERSPECTIVE

A successful family relocation to Mauritius is usually built around three connected decisions: the right school, the right place to live and the right residence route. Making those decisions together can prevent one of the most common relocation mistakes – finding the ideal property first and discovering afterwards that the school journey or school place does not work.

RELOCATING TO MAURITIUS WITH YOUR FAMILY?

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Varemont Private assists individuals and families with the practical implementation of their Mauritius plans – including residence strategy, property search, school-location planning, banking coordination and the practical steps required to establish life in Mauritius.

Where specialist education, tax, legal, immigration, medical or regulated advice is required, we coordinate with the appropriate professionals so that the different parts of the family relocation plan are considered together.

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Regulatory & professional disclaimer

This article provides general information only and does not constitute education, tax, legal, immigration, financial, medical or other professional advice. School programmes, admissions criteria, availability, fees and calendars can change. Families should confirm the current position directly with the relevant school and authorities before making relocation, housing or education decisions.