Each week we post an article or paper submitted by a member or "silent participant" of Guyana Caribbean Network. The featured article runs from Monday to Sunday each week. To submit an article for feature of the week contact us at admin@guyanacaribbeannetwork.com This week's feature is brought to you by "Shaahab".

Teaching in Morocco
by "Shaahab"

After teaching in New York City for ten years, I decided to go work abroad. I am in my 2nd year teaching in Morocco. Morocco is at the periphery of the Arabic speaking world where 50% of the population is illiterate and they are mostly men who are less ambitious than women to peruse higher education. Morocco's educational system is poor and the country lags behind most countries in the Middle East and North Africa. According to some Moroccan educators, "the state does not plan curriculums that take into account the differences between the ways of thinking of our Moroccan students." "Many books are planned away from some desires and neglects the participation" of those educators who can give expert advise. The needs of students are not "manifested in the educational system." "Moreover, many schools in different parts of Morocco lack electricity, running water, books, desks and chairs, and toilets. As well, salary is pathetically low. Thus the question lingers, how can teachers and students participate in the improvement of education?"

Morocco spends more money than Jordan or Palestine in education but lags behind them tremendously. There is lack of a national curriculum. As well, there is a lack of accountability from teachers, parents and administers. Arabic is also not the first language of many students. Arabic, the official language of the Kingdom is alien to many. It's like in Guyana, students are expected to speak and write standard English but at home they speak Creole English. Only recently the government allowed the Berber language, Tamazight to be taught.

According the most recent World Bank Report, Morocco figured among the last in the classification of 14 Arab countries; Morocco contended itself with number 11 after its neighbours Algeria which was placed 8th, whereas Jordan, Kuwait and Tunisia ranked first respectively. (As to the UNESCO's report, Morocco is ranked 111 out of 126 studied countries). Morocco's expenditure on education did not exceed 6.3 percent of GDP (in 2003), while  Gaza and West Bank's, for example, reached 11.5.

According to the recent World Bank Report, 40% of the students leave school before graduating, 380 000 pupils drop out before the age of 15 (in 2005); 80% of the learners do not understand what they are taught; and in 2003 international contests the Moroccan participants ranked among the last. As to class equipments and teaching infrastructure, they are far from being satisfactory: class rooms unequipped with electricity in country sides and suburbs, schools without water closets and permanent directors, schools cut off from media world and phone facilities, let alone university class rooms and laboratories that lack the basic equipments. I teach in a private school where this is not the case but the World Bank Report is accurate because I have seen this deplorable situation.

In the 9th century Morocco was overrun by Arabs who brought Islam to the Berbers of the mountains and founded the Arabic cities of Fez, Meknes and Marrakesh in the Magreb. Arabic culture was dominant until the French invaded in the 19th century and forced the French Language upon the people. Thus, with Berber, then Arabic and then French, Moroccans face a language dilemma. And when Morocco gained independence from France, Arabic took the center stage as the official and main language of the country. Nationalist sentiments to make Arabic the dominant language grew strong, and that led to the process of Arabization. To this day only a minority of Moroccans can function academically in Arabic or in French.

I work in a private school of predominantly Moroccans students who are very rich compared to the average Moroccans. It's a dramatic change from New York City. Here it's more about keeping up appearances and students dress more like they are going to a party. They differentiate very little school, party or sports clothing. It's a fashion contest when students return from a break with their new Louis Vaton, Dolce Gabanna or Diesel wear. Most arrive with their drivers. They have tutors, drivers and many servants, and they rarely pick up after themselves. Not all students are rich and we do have some parents who have made great sacrifices to pay 11000.00 Euros or 108000.000 Moroccan Dirhams to put their child through school yearly.

My first year at the school was both challenging and less satisfactory. Challenging in a sense that the academic rigor was poor and students did the least. They expect to be given information, cram and regurgitate it in a multiple choice exam. Here we are talking about 10-12th graders who did not write essays. Critical thinking was not a common practice. Higher order thinking skills also known as Blooms Taxonomy in teaching lingo was not practice here. Critical thinking was never practice home and at school it never became part of the classroom. The Moroccan/French system is very much teacher centered, unlike our New York City student centered teaching methodology which allows active student participant in their education.

Moroccan teachers find it hard to adapt to this philosophy in an American school and many were fired or quit. They expect students to basically sit there with "busy work" and remind silent throughout the lesson. Most have poor work habits such as coming to work late, arriving to class late, poor dressing, low expectations from students and poor classroom management have earn them little respect from students.

My deepest frustration was my inability to deal with poor student ethics. No one accept responsibility for their negative behaviour and a circle of lies is unleashed and justified as part of the culture. They accepted that corruption is rampant countrywide and that cheating is not despicable. Peer pressure is harsh and some have to cheat and lie to fit in. Many students spent more time learning how to manipulate, lie and cheat instead of learning. These students feel the pressure from their families to succeed because they are completely judged by grades. Thus, they will sacrifice their integrity to make a good impression in society

With low expectation from students, no curriculum, poor discipline, and lack of supervision, education is failing. Poor administration affects education through out the kingdom. There is lack of accountability at all levels- administration, teachers and parents. However, I will speak more of what I am familiar with working at a private pseudo American School. Teachers are poorly recruited, many leave during the first month of the school years because promises made by the administration are not delivered. Teachers have problem getting paid timely. Getting the necessary materials for the classroom such as books takes a long time and that can be months. Teachers do not get their official contracts in a timely manner and often have to rant and rave to sort important matters out. Thus, by the time teachers get into the classroom and realize that the average student is two or three grades below, they are exhausted. They feel helpless and isolated and often they run escape.

Parents like in many other cultures believe that once they send their child to school their work is done. All responsibility of educating the child and sending him/her to college is the responsibility of the school. When they seek solution to fix a problem their child is having in school, they look at teachers to come up with the solutions. It seems like parents give their children more freedom at home. Mostly likely they are not home to be with the child during weekends when he or she goes home. Most likely it's the servants who care for the child. There is a great need for lessons in parenting in Morocco. They perceive an American school as a carte de balance for "freedom" where there is no dress code and students can argue with teachers, be absent, cheat and get away with it. Surprising, most parents barely has a high school education and are not capable to assistant their child. They spend little time with their parents growing up when parents and having those interesting conversations that builds critical thinking are void. They child is raised most likely by the driver, nanny, cook, or gardener.

Most international schools in Morocco such as the George Washington Academy, Casa American School and Rabat American School are penetrated by evangelist, sadly most people have an agenda and there is lack of sincerity from all corners; mistrust lingers everywhere. These schools unofficially hire only "Christians," meaning they are not interested in hiring secular Europeans or North Americans much less Moroccans who are mostly Muslims. Take for example, the George Washington Academy is funded by churches in the United States and teachers who work there must sign a secret "declaration of faith." Teachers receive a salary from the school here and one from their church in their home country. One teacher at the GWA revealed to me that she received a "call from Jesus" and she dropped everything and flew to Morocco. Some parents have had to remove their students from these schools after they discovered a Christian agenda. If the focus is to help the poor and needy and to provide a solid education, much can be achieved here in this poor country. The evangelists here frequently faced problems with the Moroccans and they do not share private space and time after the work-place. At the end of the day they go their own way, and Moroccan families keep their children away from the homes of these Christians. Sadly, it's the reality of international schools in Morocco; they are not sincere in what they are doing. They have other agendas.