Fez - Whenever I think of writing about the situation of teachers, students, and schools in Morocco, my heart skips a beat. The amount of violence in schools has surged recently, and video go viral on social media depicting students verbally abusing teachers, and vice versa.
The truth is that conflict has always existed between the two parties as a result of the deplorable school conditions. However, those who begrudge to teachers incriminate them as if they are the only defendants, they apply double standards and turn a blind eye to pivotal issues that represent the real violence against all stakeholders in Morocco’s education system.
Genuine violence is when a student wakes up at 5 o’clock in the morning and walks one hour to attend classes, enduring the cold, the heat, and a weak infrastructure, and complaining about the lack of transportation and the fear of being mugged or sexually assaulted on the way.
Real violence is when students of the elite and the privileged have visas and access to great schools outside the country, while the impoverished people in rural areas waste their time in split-grade classrooms, isolated from civilization and deprived of the technology that might link them to the world.
Real violence is when students spend the whole day in a school rambling aimlessly during breaks because their houses are far and the school lacks basic facilities such as libraries, multimedia rooms, and playgrounds where students can unwind.
Blatant violence is when students use a chalkboard and depend on their donations to make copies for extra exercises or flashcards.
Real violence is when students attend crowded classes where conditions do not match methods of teaching, causing teachers discomfort and frustration.
Conspicuous violence is when the Ministry of Education prioritizes statistics, being oblivious to the quality that has contributed to the surge in cheating.
Real violence is when private schools host students from rich families and public ones are designed for those who cannot afford to pay the fees, creating a gap in social classes and making education a privilege of the wealthy. .
Real violence is when families do not care for their children because they are preoccupied earning money to survive, and they demand teachers to make their children doctors and engineers, assuming that they have magic recipes.
Real violence is when drug addiction is inexorable among students who are in need of social assistance, medical care, and more attention to their crisis.
Real violence is when students enter the classroom with no willingness to study, because their brothers and sisters have already graduated and have been desperately looking for jobs, and then think of immigration.
Real violence is when teachers are shocked at the gap between the theories they learn at the training centers and the reality of infrastructure at schools.
Real violence is when all these issues and others contribute to the failure of our education system, while those who are behind desks adopt outlandish measures to contribute to a vicious circle.
Real violence is when we know the source of problems and do not want to put forth effort to bring about change for fear of wasting energy, time, and money.
Real violence is that despite the misfortunes students and teachers experience, they both share dreams to bring about positive change in society, while many of bystanders provide no support.
Edited by Timothy Filla
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy
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