Morocco News Tribune » Education

Reforming The Reform

morocconewstribune — Sat, 04 May 2013 09:12:39 +0000

By Abdelmjid Seghir

Moroco News Tribune

Agadir, Morocco|It is quite alarming how the Moroccan educational system ends a reform just to start a new one. Reform is our ministry’s “thing”, it just can’t do without it. The more alarming observation is that the ministry NEVER cares about what educators have to say or offer. Instead, the ministry brings someone from abroad, offer them millions of Dirhams and waste more millions on fake and worthless trainings.

Many educators make allegations that when the ministry fails to live up to Moroccans expectations, it resorts to some procedures to face the mistakes it has made. K. M. a ministry of education employee explains that the ministry has three main strategies to explain the dire situation of education in Morocco. “First, it denies that education has reached the bottom by making up some fake statistics to persuade the public. However, these arguments don’t hold water. What’s the point of numbers when reality shows the opposite?” K. M. demands before adding: “So, in order to face this embarrassment, the ministry moves to the second best option; holding teachers responsible for the situation by claiming that teachers do not work hard enough and that they are being “spoiled.” Whereas the third option is claiming that the educational system has grown old and that it needs to be reformed.”

As far as reforms are concerned, many educators think that the government isn’t being serious about them. They think that there will never be a serious reform unless educators’ opinions, suggestions and expertise are taken into account. This is why educators raise so many questions related to their exclusion from the decision making process in what is supposed to be their ministry; “Why aren’t we consulted? Why don’t they ask us? Why do they bring people from outside the country when no one knows our needs more than we do? Why is this marginalization of our role?” Many teachers wonder.

Responding to these questions, some educators suggest that Moroccan decision makers have an “inferiority complex”. This means that they believe that quality comes from abroad. They don’t believe that Moroccans have what it takes to improve the quality of their own lives, education economy or even football. “This doesn’t happen in education only; it’s the same thing everywhere. Foreigners are seen as more competent and more intelligent than us.” K. M. explains. “Look at our football national team for example; mediocre foreign coaches get salaries 10 times higher than our local competent coaches.” K. M. adds in apparent frustration.

Eventually, it’s needless to mention that no progress whatsoever will result from these reforms unless stakeholders are involved in the decision making process. Imported solutions will remain adequate and functional only on paper. The real world, however, will keep suffering from the ministry’s negligence of educators, and randomness in managing the field of education.

Abdelmjid Seghir is a teacher of English, writer and public speaker. He holds a BA in TEFL and ICT from Ibn Zohr university, Agadir in 2010. His areas of interest include a variety of topics such as ICT, education, culture and cultural issues, photography and sports. His articles, papers and short stories have been published in many paper-based as well as electronic outlets. These include the American Language Center’s magazine “Oasis” and MATE’s (Moroccan Association of Teachers of English) 2012 conference proceedings. Seghir speaks in seminars and gives presentations at MATE’s conferences on a regular basis.

Interview with MoRCE-Net’s Secretary General

morocconewstribune — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:42:13 +0000

By Abdelmjid Seghir

Moroco News Tribune

Agadir, Morocco | Although the first of its kind, MoRCE-Net’s first annual conference in Agadir was a success. The organization of the event and the quality of the papers proved the maturity of MoRCE-Net’s first experience.

For more details about this event, Morocco News Tribune was there and came back with a report and an interesting interview with Mr. Mohamed Hassim, MoRCE-Net’s Secretary General.

In addition to being MoRCE-Net’s secretary general, Mr. Hassim is a teacher supervisor and vice president of MATE (Moroccan Association of Teachers of English). Mr. Hassim explains that MoRCE-Net’s first conference was successful because its members are the same people who have been in charge of MATE for a very long time. “MoRCE-Net is not starting from scratch; it’s the fruit of a long legacy of professional people’s hard work.” He says, before adding: “it’s (the conference) the first in time but not the first in experience.”

When asked about the relationship between MATE and MoRCE-Net, Mr. Hassim insists that there is no kind of competition whatsoever.

“We are not competing; we are serving our community in different ways.” He says.

Furthermore, Mr. Hassim strengthens the fact that the two associations are working hand in hand for a better teaching/learning environments in Morocco.

“MoRCE-Net completes MATE and MATE completes MoRCE-Net.” He insists.

Furthermore, Mr. Hassim reminds of the long heritage left by MATE and acknowledges the work it has done regarding the creation resource centers but says that there is a need for a new association devoted to this very specific objective.

“MATE has helped with resource centers but its main role is teacher training.” He adds.

On the other hand, Mr. Hassim introduces MoRCE-Net as being a “project-based” association which adheres to a clear action plan.

In this regard Mr. Hassim explains that there is a kind of accountability in MoRCE-Net.

“When you are a MoRCE-Net member, you have to respect the action plan.” Mr. Hassim emphasizes.

About the future of MoRCE-Net, Mr. Hassim says that they are looking for people with valuable “input” in the coming conferences. He says that participants should have something to share and not be passive. Experiences either positive or negative should be shared, put under scrutiny and evaluated so that everyone benefits from them.

In the end, Mr. Hassim assured that he follows Morocco News Tribune’s, which he says “brings fresh reading materials” to the English speaking community in Morocco, before concluding: “We need this kind of platforms for teachers to produce and publish.”

E-learning, A Paradigm Shift in Education

morocconewstribune — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:29:32 +0000

By Abdelmjid Seghir

Morocco News Tribune

Larache, Morocco | Interactive whiteboards, tablets, smart phones, social networks and the incredible amount of software and hardware that is available now has been reshaping education for the last decade. Thus, with this incredible advancement in technology, taking education to cyberspace has become an inescapable fate. Hereafter is a very brief discussion of E-learning’s potentials and limitations.

Generally speaking, E-learning can be broadly defined as the teaching and learning that take place online. This might include classes on online platforms such as Moodle, Wiziq, Coursera and Facebook educational pages and groups or even Skype conversations with tutors in other parts of the world. Also, there are now some universities who have started giving online classes and students can now get university degrees from the comfort of their homes. A prominent example is the University of Phoenix.

Synchronous and asynchronous learning is therefore the main source of E-learning’s power and charm. That is; if you’re too overwhelmed with responsibilities but still have the motivation to pursue your studies, E-learning can be a perfect alternative to campus-based universities. Furthermore, E-learning can be a self-confidence booster for introvert people who tend to prefer to work alone.

Financially speaking; E-learning is a lot more affordable than attending traditional universities – especially in Europe and the USA. For example; an accredited online MA’s program fees might be around 15.000$ whereas studying the same program in a campus-based university might cost up to 60.000$ or even more.

On the other hand, E-learning has its limitations, too. The first and major one is that it lacks social interaction. That is; no face-to-face discussions or conversations take place and no humanistic aspects are there to ease and comfort the learner who is dealing mainly with machines. This lack of human interaction can be very demotivating to certain types of learners, especially extrovert learners who always look for interaction and need to feel that they are surrounded by real people.

Also, students with limited computing knowledge are denied the opportunity to take advantage of this new medium. This is mainly due to E-learning’s reliance on new technologies that many students are not acquainted with. This reliance on machines (computers, video cameras, microphones…) is the main cause of E-learning’s third major limitation which is the various technical problems that learners might face. Slow internet connection, virused computers, crashed cameras, electricity cut offs and so on are a few examples.

All things considered, E-learning remains an excellent option for many people around the world. Banks, markets and newspapers have inhabited the World Wide Web, so why not schools, too? Another question that still lingers is in my mind is; will E-learning set foot in Morocco soon? And if yes, will it be accredited by the ministry of education?

Abdelmjid Seghir is a teacher of English, writer and public speaker. He holds a BA in TEFL and ICT from Ibn Zohr university, Agadir in 2010. His areas of interest include a variety of topics such as ICT, education, culture and cultural issues, photography and sports. His articles, papers and short stories have been published in many paper-based as well as electronic outlets. These include the American Language Center’s magazine “Oasis” and MATE’s (Moroccan Association of Teachers of English) 2012 conference proceedings. Seghir speaks in seminars and gives presentations at MATE’s conferences on a regular basis.

Morocco Gives Away a Collection of Rare Books to The Library of Alexandria

morocconewstribune — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:03:46 +0000

By Mourad Anouar

Morocco News Tribune

Oklahoma, U.S.A | Egypt’s Library of Alexandria received on Wednesday Morocco’s delegation,which participates in the Ninth Alexandrina International Book Fair from 23 March to 7 April 2013, with Morocco as the guest of honor, during which the BA is to receive a collection of rare books donated by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture.

Mr. Mohammed Jaacob, head of international cooperation in the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, said that the Moroccan Ministry of Culture will offer more than a thousand titles to the Library of Alexandria in the coming days, after he has witnessed an increase of interest from Egyptian students in the Moroccan book.

For his part, Ambassador Ali Maher, adviser to the Director of the Library of Alexandria, welcome this gift, stressing that the library is keen to promote relations with all Moroccan institutions.

In turn, Dr. Khaled Azab, head of the project at the Library of Alexandria, said that many Moroccan intellectuals have contributed to the library’s projects, researches and the board of trustees including Dr. Asia bin Alawi, and Dr. Ahmed Shouiki binbin.

He added that the library has launched a campaign to support in the collecting thousands of books to the new library of Fez.

On the other hand, Lamia Abdel Fattah, acting head of the libraries, confirmed that this gift from Morocco enhances Bibliotheca of Library of Alexandria, espcially that Moroccan books are rare in Egypt and the highly demanded of researchers Egyptian, Arab and foreign, which reflects the impact of Moroccan intellectuals in contemporary Arab culture such as Muhammad Abed al-Jabri, and Abdul god Laroui, Taha Abdul Rahman.

Leila Alholou from Moroccan Ministry of Culture and the Moroccan Ministry of Culture said that the ministry is keen to build bridges of cooperation with the Library of Alexandria, pointing that the gift is only the beginning of a stage actor of mutual relations.

It is to note that the library is scheduled to hold a number of publishing and printing houses from Egypt, the Arab World and Europe are expected to participate along with a variety of cultural activitiesfeaturing renowned writers, thinkers and artists.

Morocco’s Tajdid Tulabi Rejects Any Violation of the Sanctity of Moroccan Universities’ Campuses

morocconewstribune — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:07:12 +0000

By Mohamed Amine Qasserras

Morocco News Tribune

Kenitra, Morocco | The Executive Committee of the Organization Tajdid Tulabi (Student Renewal) have announced their rejection of any form of violation of Moroccan university liberties, or restrictions on freedom of cultural activities and political trials of Students Movement activists within Moroccan universities.

The Executive Committee of Tajdid Tulabi exhibited solidarity with the Justice and Charity Party that was prevented from exercising their rights in having cultural activity in the Faculty of Arts and Human Science at the University of Ibn Tofail in Kenitra which was scheduled on Monday 24^th.

Meanwhile, the organization expressed their condemnation of all security interventions that violate the sanctity of the university campus, and the right of students in the cultural acts in the university.

The Committee also addressed those responsible to assume full responsibility for the outcome of the situation in Kenitra, along with its warning of the adoption of the narrow security approach, and the exclusion of students in addressing the imbalances within the university.

The Organization finished their statement by asking all students for more vigilance and responsibility and also called for the need to intensify action and stragglier efforts in defense of the University – the source of science and knowledge.

They also called for More freedoms, dignity and social justice, rejecting at the same time all forms of corruption and despotism.

When Modernity Leads Education Astray

morocconewstribune — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:24:54 +0000

_{By Abdelmjid Seghir}

_{Morocco News Tribune}

There was an immense focus on moving towards modern teaching methods during my teacher per-service training. Most of my trainers emphasized the fact that we would be teaching 21^st century students now and that old methods of teaching were surpassed, as a result.

Of course, the emphasis on the use of current methodologies and the integration of technology is completely justified in today’s world. You just can’t keep depending on “chalk and talk” when your students have access to state-of-the-art technologies. Therefore, being modern as a teacher implies that you are not the center of attention anymore. It’s the learner who should be speaking, acting, moving and doing virtually everything.

Also, being a modern teacher means that you are prone to integrate technology in your daily practices. This change has been accompanied by a paradigm shift in our perception of the modern teacher. Nowadays, teachers are thought of as prompters, guides and facilitators of learning instead of owners of knowledge. However, this is not what’s happening in many so-called modern schools.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that some teachers understand modernity differently. Many teachers might resort to technology either to impress other people (supervisors, teachers, parents, students…) or to just work less and get the job done effortlessly. What’s more unfortunate is that these practices are being legitimized and widely adopted by our students. As a result, instead of doing real and valuable research, many students just copy, paste and print articles from the Internet and bring them to class the next day.

In fact, they don’t even do it themselves; they just go to a Cybercafe and ask the owner to do their homework for them!

As a matter of fact, there is no harm in making the job of a teacher easier, but teachers should understand that while technology helps and provides many interesting tools and solutions, it can never replace the teacher.

Similarly, copying articles from the Internet doesn’t compensate for a student’s lack of hard work. I also believe that it’s up to the teacher to explain to their students the ethics of using technology.

After all, technology is out there to provide information and make our lives easier not to think for us and cancel our roles.

To cut a long story short, I believe that no matter what you use in your classroom, it would require just as much effort. So, if you’re opting for technology to spare your efforts, you’re doing it wrong. In fact, there is more to teaching than just clicking, scrolling up and down and pressing the “Play” button.

Why is Education Tomorrow’s Wealth?

morocconewstribune — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 05:58:58 +0000

By Abdelmjid Seghir

Morocco News Tribune

In case you’re having any doubts, a quick look at all the places where poverty has a powerful hold will eventually make it clear that poverty and illiteracy are inseparable. Actually, illiteracy is poverty’s stronghold and faithful realm where all kinds of indecency, crimes and even terrorism flourish. Therefore, governments, especially in third world countries, must stop looking for “lame” excuses to justify the high illiteracy and low college graduates rates in their countries. Third world countries must be ready for effective and ferocious wars on ignorance, instead.

Why should I pursue higher education?

Honestly, convincing people that education creates fortune is one of the hardest endeavors one can attempt to take. The fact that there is usually a huge gap between the level of education of the workforce and their paychecks makes it difficult to be convincing. Therefore, many people might end up questioning the purpose behind education and might ask: “Why bother to get a decent education when I can start a career at a young age and earn money?”

Actually, I get this a lot. As a teacher, many of my students question the necessity of education. They usually ask the following questions: “Our neighbor never went to school and he’s well-off, so why should I get good grades? Why should I study hard? Why should I get an education in the first place?”

In my defense, I tell my students that there might be rich people who have never been to school, but: “Can those people use a computer? Can they speak different languages to interact with people from different cultures and different parts of the world? Can they write and/or read a letter? Can they use a smartphone? Can they enjoy a foreign movie or song? Can they think critically about their lives and the world around them? Can they enjoy reading books?”

Of course, my students’ answer to all of these questions is a shy “No.” This is usually how I lay the ground to my subsequent explanation which I am willing to share with you all in this post.

How does education create fortune?

Technology has nowadays shifted how we see and interact with the world. The Internet, Capitalism and Globalization have altered what corporations seek in their employees to a big extent. In other words, muscles won’t secure you a good position, skills will. Therefore, it’s become indispensable for everyone to seek higher education, learn languages and have great computing skills. The market no longer tolerates incompetence, especially during the current international financial crisis. Positions have become a rarity, and competition has become fiercer than ever.

Looking at the issue from a different perspective, one can see that education plays a key role in broadening people’s intellectual horizons, empowering them (especially women), and improving their standards of living. Furthermore, education is the answer to many of our social problems in third world countries. For example, countries that have the best educational systems (Japan for example) have the lowest domestic violence rates, coincidence?

Moreover, education is undoubtedly the real renewable resource that nations should focus on for a brighter future for their nations. This is what the Japanese did, and it paid off really well!

So, back to the main question now, “How does education create fortune?”

Below is a list of points that might answer this question:

People with a college degree have better chances to land in better positions and earn more money than people with no education.
A better position doesn’t mean more earnings only, but social security and health insurance as well.
Higher education is still free in Morocco, so students won’t have to shoulder the burden of refunding huge student loans.
Moroccan universities have started many professional B.As and M.As and started offering management classes even for literary studies’ students.
People with college degrees enjoy more opportunities for ongoing professional development.

For more details check this link: “Education Pays, The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society“

But education costs a lot!

“We’re doing our best but education costs a lot.” This is a typical excuse given by many governments to justify the decay in their educational systems. This, of course, is one of the excuses that no one should accept, anymore. The primary reason we shouldn’t accept this excuse is because it’s FALSE! It just needs a government with long-term visions to understand that education will eventually cost a lot LESS than ignorance.

Building schools, hiring competent teachers, preparing adequate infrastructures will inevitably cost considerable amounts of money. Nonetheless, the fruits will quickly show up and the nation will benefit from investing in minds.

So, no development shall take place unless we’re aware that knowledge and education are tomorrow’s wealth. We shouldn’t expect miracles unless we’re truly willing to get engaged and invest in education. This is the only way to secure a bright future for the society, culture and economy of our nation.

Moroccan Students of Jewish Backgrounds Leaving Morocco to Study and Stay in Israel

morocconewstribune — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:23:19 +0000

By Samira Arabi

Morocco News Tribune

Agadir, Morocco | Ynetnews.com reported on Sunday that a number of Jewish families from Morocco have been sending their sons to study at Jerusalem College of Technology and when the latter finish their studies, most of them usually decide to stay in Israel.

As a fast-growing phenomenon, the paper said that “thirteen young Jewish men from Morocco began their studies at the Machon Lev academic institution for men in the Jerusalem College of Technology this year,”

“These youngsters are part of a fast-growing phenomenon of Moroccan Jewish families sending their children to study in Isreal particularly at the Jerusalem institute,” the website added.

The same source said that there 13 Moroccan students will join 25 other young Moroccan Jews who came to Israel in a secret operation in the past three years.

The writer Danny Adeno Abebe claimed that Machon Lev institute “helps them maintain their Jewish tradition and values while engaging in academic studies,”

The writer said that Moroccan students had to pass through several countries in order to make it to Israel, in an attempt to cover their tracks and ensure that the Moroccan authorities are unaware of their real destination.

Citing one of them, the article interviewed Yitzhak, an accounting student, who said that “there is no future for us in Morocco. I came to Israel and I see myself staying here in the future and starting a family.”

Morocco Ranks 130 in UNDP Human Development Index and Norway Tops the Rankings

morocconewstribune — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:05:15 +0000

By Mourad Anouar

Morocco News Tribune

Oklahoma, U.S.A | This year’s Human Development Index (HDI) rankings, the annual United Nations measure of progress in human well-being came as no surprise as Norway tops the list and retains its top position from last year list followed by Australia and the United States.

At the bottom of the list comes Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Mozambique.

The report, entitled The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World, emphasizes the unprecedented growth of developing countries, which is propelling millions out of poverty and reshaping the global system.

Morocco ranks 130 among 186 countries, according to the United Nations Development Program; a position that raises more questions about the feasibility of human development programs adopted in Morocco.

Morocco was outranked by many Arab countries such as Qatar at the first level, followed by the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Lebanon, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia and Jordan.

The U.N. Development Program’s 2013 Human Development report, released in Mexico City, said that by the end of the current decade, the economic output of Brazil, India and China will outperform that of the United States, Germany, Britain, Canada, France and Italy combined.

Malaysia is ranked 64^th well ahead of Thailand (103), the Philippines (114), Indonesia (121) and Turkey (90), despite trailing the Republic of Korea (12), Singapore (18) and Brunei (30), all of which were in the very high human development category.

Morocco News Tribune » Education

Reforming The Reform

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