Monday, I published a blog post where I lamented the current strike at my university. At the end of the it, I agreed with the notion that 'people' (read: some Moroccans) don't take school seriously, that this was just an instance of political grandstanding to masquerade the strikers' desire to shirk their studies.
While it is true that some of the Riffaqis and Ikhwanis, and even more of their supporters, are looking for a way to avoid their responsibilities as students, it is unfair to cast their motivations as entirely trivial. These strikes are taken very seriously. Organizers use intimidation to keep students out of class. I witnessed this last October. Fights are common. Strikers also threaten violence against students who challenge their motives and tactics.
Last night I witnessed this exchange* on a Facebook group created by my university students:
I mentioned the strike to a colleague of mine today. He told me: "You are witnessing a crumbling system." The causes of such are varied and disparate. You can't blame the Ministry of Education. Some universities are more functional than others. The educational reforms are good and well-intended, but so far exist only on paper. You can't blame individual administrations either; the system they're asked to implement is a far-fetched ideal. To compound an already complex problem, the day-to-day operations of the university are impeded by the student unions. Yet, they are only asking for what the law promises them.
In the middle of these competing interests are the students. What if I never teach again this semester? The government and administrations would blame the student unions. The student unions would blame the government and administrations. Would they recognize the damage they caused by setting students back? How do you make up a lost semester?
For over a decade, Morocco has struggled to improve it's higher education system. What will the results of these efforts be? A generation of young minds lost, their futures forfeited for what? A brighter but more distant future? How will this lost generation participate in it?
Previously, I labeled Morocco's higher education system as dysfunctional. But now, after seeing how it schemes to subvert even the best students' desire to study, I can only call it a disaster.
*Edited for content and to preserve the anonymity of the conversation's participants
While it is true that some of the Riffaqis and Ikhwanis, and even more of their supporters, are looking for a way to avoid their responsibilities as students, it is unfair to cast their motivations as entirely trivial. These strikes are taken very seriously. Organizers use intimidation to keep students out of class. I witnessed this last October. Fights are common. Strikers also threaten violence against students who challenge their motives and tactics.
Last night I witnessed this exchange* on a Facebook group created by my university students:
Ahmed: tomorrow you must back to study ...
Mohammed: really !!!
Ahmed: yes. we have to talk with the strikers and tell them we want to study
Mohammed: who said? i have just heard that classes will start next week.
Ahmed: yes, that is why.
Mohammed: but we will just waste time with that fucking people there. we should be patient this year.
Ahmed: we are going trough hell!
Mohammed: yeah !!! but what shall we do this is Morocco
Ahmed: no, no
Mohammed: yes !! mate. this is Morocco everywhere u go u will find same drama Ahmed: the strike yes, but not in the time of studying. we need our right yes but there are some duties
Mohammed: what duties are you talking about?
Ahmed: tomorrow i will go to tha fucking university and i will tell them to stop that that's enough. lets us start the semester, there is time for doing this out of study. Our duties?studying and geting very good mark and trying to produce some thing for our beloved country
Mohammed: u cant' do it only by urself we need all students attend but unfortunately u can't collect them all we have over 300 students in our class and when u want to talk about problems which they suffer from u will find just 5 students or maybe just 2 so i advise u bro to keep away
Ahmed: thx
Mohammed: cuz if they saw u only who speaks about that they will do something bad to you . plzzzz don't speak alone
Ahmed: ok thx, brother
Mohammed: i still remember last time when you talked during the class at infor... fortunately you found support for ur words then
Ahmed: yes , i did
Mohammed: if you go tomorrow and they are not brave students like you, u will find urself out of university
I mentioned the strike to a colleague of mine today. He told me: "You are witnessing a crumbling system." The causes of such are varied and disparate. You can't blame the Ministry of Education. Some universities are more functional than others. The educational reforms are good and well-intended, but so far exist only on paper. You can't blame individual administrations either; the system they're asked to implement is a far-fetched ideal. To compound an already complex problem, the day-to-day operations of the university are impeded by the student unions. Yet, they are only asking for what the law promises them.
In the middle of these competing interests are the students. What if I never teach again this semester? The government and administrations would blame the student unions. The student unions would blame the government and administrations. Would they recognize the damage they caused by setting students back? How do you make up a lost semester?
For over a decade, Morocco has struggled to improve it's higher education system. What will the results of these efforts be? A generation of young minds lost, their futures forfeited for what? A brighter but more distant future? How will this lost generation participate in it?
Previously, I labeled Morocco's higher education system as dysfunctional. But now, after seeing how it schemes to subvert even the best students' desire to study, I can only call it a disaster.
*Edited for content and to preserve the anonymity of the conversation's participants
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