Higher Education: “The Great Escape”, the Great Drain
It may not be a hemorrhage, but that is what suggests a note signed by Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, himself, at the end of last week in a circular addressed to the acting Inspector General of Higher Education, to the Director of the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST), to the Director General of the National Office for University, Social and Cultural Works (ONOUSC), and to the Acting Director General of National Assessment Agency. Abdellatif Miraoui implicitly expresses in that circular his surprise about the number of requests for early retirement and resignations from research professors, administrative executives, and teaching technicians in various services and university institutions.
According to the ministerial note, “it has been noted that the requests have registered a crescendo increase and that in most cases, the requests for retirement or resignation are accompanied by the favorable opinion of the hierarchical superiors and the university structures concerned, which is initiating a serious dilemma. Indeed, if the universities were to give their final agreement, this would undoubtedly result in a significant shortage of teachers and civil servants within the services and university institutions”.
This imbalance should have a negative impact on the educational and adminstrative support rate. A fact that further complicates matters for the department is the almost certain possibility that the persons in question will have recourse to the administrative courts in the event of refusal. The legal actions have every chance of leading to a favorable decision for the people leaving the academic world, knowing that they fulfill the conditions of seniority in their position to claim an early departure. The situation, which is at the very least comical, coincides with “the final preparations for the launch of the plan to accelerate the transformation of the ecosystem of higher education, scientific research, and innovation”. The strategy precisely requires the mobilization and strengthening of the ministry’s human resources. With the “great drain” that is looming ahead, Mister Miraoui’s department is far from this configuration. Consequently, the department calls upon the persons concerned to ensure that the general interest prevails first when examining the applications of people wishing to leave the Ministry and the academic world. Instructions were also given that “these requests are only validated in extreme and justified cases”, the goal being to stem the flow of retirements before age and resignations. In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education will take the agreements into account when allocating budget items under the Appropriations Bill. Instruction was also given that the departments concerned should attach the greatest importance to the ministerial note and ensure that its content is implemented to guarantee the smooth running of the administrative services and universities concerned.
Hassan EL ARIF
