Public school: Planned destruction? | L’Economiste
The Trade unionists, political figures, parents… Many people firmly believe in a planned destruction of public schools, in a carefully orchestrated operation to put an end to free education. And they have no problem repeating it to anyone who will listen. The former SG of the Unified Socialist Party, Nabila Mounib, proclaimed it in a recent media release.
Representatives of teachers’ coordinations and trade unionists also miss no opportunity to put this forward. This “plot” against the “people’s school” apparently began a few decades ago. If at the beginning there was an alleged desire to keep Moroccans in ignorance with a view to better “taming” them, today the goal would be to put the education system, this financial pit, in the hands of private tycoons. . Is this a fantasy, a collective psychosis fueled by political one-upmanship? What are the foundations of this conspiracy theory? «The Government has never had the desire to destroy public schools, whether directly or indirectly!» says Mohamed Ould Dada, former HR director of the Ministry of National Education and former director of regional academy of education and training. «It is just political one-upmanship. What destroys the school are the repeated strikes. They are also those who desert it», he believes. A second former senior ministry official, who worked with several ministers, supports this opinion. «The intention never existed. It’s hard to imagine that this is the objective of any entity. It is more of a combination of ingredients», he assures.
It is true that the setbacks of the education system over the last twenty years, despite the hundreds of billions of Dirhams swallowed up, and the major strategies and reforms deployed may seem incomprehensible. Others see the imprint of international institutions which would continue to push the government to disengage from social sectors with a view to privatizing them.
«The private sector remains marginal compared to the public, even if it is visible in large cities, such as Casablanca and Rabat, where it represents between 25 and 30%. The 20% of students in the private sector recommended by the Education Charter in 2000 has never been reached», underlines Ould Dada. This measure is precisely one of the arguments of the “conspirators”. For them, this recommendation of the charter is proof of the Government’s desire to weaken the public in order to favor the private sector. They also relate to the tax exemptions offered to private schools. However, these schools are indeed subject to taxes like all economic operators.
The new status of teachers represented new hope for closing this chapter of former contract workers. And now the unions, who claim not to have been associated with its final version, are stepping up to challenge it, multiplying strikes and sit-ins. The head of government has just announced the creation of a commission to improve this status, which he will chair himself. Will this be enough to get teachers back to class? In the meantime, students continue to be held hostage in endless standoffs.
Ahlam NAZIH
