Impediments and Policy Gaps in Education Governance, Resource Allocation, and Stakeholder Engagement in Mauritius

Abstract

This study examines the challenges and policy gaps in Mauritius's stakeholder engagement, resource allocation, and education governance. It is based on Institutional Theory and explores how the normative, cognitive, and regulative pillars influence institutional behavior and lead to systemic inertia in the educational system. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combines qualitative and quantitative techniques. Two hundred participants, including administrators, educators, civil society representatives, and policymakers, were purposefully and stratified sampled to provide data. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was employed alongside statistical analyses such as regression, correlation, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the connections between governance, resource allocation, stakeholder engagement, and policy effectiveness. Results show that the key variables are strongly positively interrelated (R = 0.742; R² = 0.551; p < 0.001), and that the implementation of education policies is significantly affected by governance (β = 0.364), resource allocation (β = 0.315), stakeholder engagement (β = 0.287), and policy consistency (β = 0.243). Transparency, accountability, and equity enhance educational outcomes, while corruption and inconsistent policies hinder progress, according to SEM results (CFI = 0.958; RMSEA = 0.062), which confirm the model’s validity. The study concludes that, to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), Mauritius needs equitable funding, participatory engagement, and effective governance reforms. It recommends long-term policy coherence, decentralized budgeting, stakeholder empowerment, and institutional accountability mechanisms to promote sustainable educational development.