By Jamal Elabiad
When I was a university student, my belief was that employments in Morocco are reserved only for the brightest students. And this is why I did my best to excel at my university studies so as to get employed soon after I got my first cycle certificate (or DEUG).
After working six years as middle school teacher of English, I discovered, like many others, I was naïve to believe that jobs in Morocco are given only to those who proved themselves excellent.
Among the measures the Moroccan ministry of education has taken so far to reduce unemployment of graduates was employing a myriad of Master’s-holders as teachers, a large number of whom were my university friends.
The majority of my university friends had no other choice, but to resume their university education simply because the low marks they obtained did not allow them to be selected for a teacher-training center exam, such as ENS or CPR. In other words, they weren’t hard-working students while at the university, and that’s why their ENS or CPR’s applications were rejected. But as soon as they got their Master’s, they were employed as middle or high school English teachers without getting any training.
The problem does not lie in their employment. It lies in the salary scale they were given. Teachers, like me, who were brilliant university students and who spent almost a year at the CPR or ENS were given scale 9 or 10, but those who became teachers without getting any training were given scale 11. My point is that the latter are well-paid than the CPR or ENS graduates.
It’s beyond doubt that the decision of the education ministry to employ Master’s-holders with scale 11 was disappointing for teachers whose belief was employments in Morocco are reserved only for the best students!
Personally speaking, I would not have applied for a career of teaching at middle school had I known that high salaries in Morocco are given only to poor university students. And I am quite sure that many other victims of the ministry decision do add their voice to mine.
الدنيا أرزاق
ReplyDeleteIt still not too late , you can work towards you MA or sit for Porfessional exam after spending 6 years in echelle 10.
ReplyDeleteThere is a last option , you can quit teaching and work with corporate or private schools.with such an experience and intelligence , you will make more money .
ReplyDeleteHi Jamal,
ReplyDeleteI like it when you finally wrote about the victims of this ministry decision. I have always expected you to do so one day. I definitely agree wit you when provided concrete examples. Being a victim too, I strongly add my voice to yours, particularly after I have come to the conclusion that early achievers get the lowest positions with the lowest salaries, whereas late achievers get the highest positions with the highest salaries. Here, it is no use giving you advice as others did simply because you described the reality as it is. I would rather deem you as realistic. As for those advising you to pursue your studies, I would say that it is not matter of that, but rather it is a matter of the distance, work conditions, commitments, etc. Those late achievers did not suffer from the latter. Not taking studies and job opportunities seriously leads to scale 11, while exerting oneself hard at studies leads to early employment with scale 09.
I don't know why you compare yourself with those who didn't make at CPR or ENS. Do you think all DUEG holders are brilliants? that's not the point. Brilliant students don't get high grades at the university.
ReplyDeleteI assure you both, Behmidine and Jamal, that you can't even, at this stage, do an academic research. You are not as Brilliants as you think. Never underestimate others.
ReplyDeleteMr Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteIf you believe that brilliant students do not get high grades at university, this must mean that only those who get low grades are brilliant. Oh, what a good point! And how logical the analogy you've drawn is! We have the right to compare ourselves with those who did not make at CPR and ENS ONLY and ONLY when we see them joining the teaching profession with scale 11. You never know! We simply want to know about the way that leads to scale 11 without pre-selection, written and oral exam, and training. We have the right to draw an analogy the moment we observe that those who used to cry over their failure begin to join the teaching profession with scale 11 and those who used to be happy about their early success start their job with scale 09. Besides, I challenge all M.A. and Ph.D holders to answer this question honestly. Before choosing to do their post-graduate studies, had they ever sat for CPR and ENS and failed? Or had they passed them, and then chosen to forgo them with the purpose of pursuing their studies? I am completely certain that the answer to the first question is YES and that of the second question is NO. You may think that not all DEUG holders are brilliant. But why are the criteria for joining the teaching profession more challenging for DEUG holders than for M.A. and Ph.D holders? The criteria in question are: pre-selection, written and oral exam, then training. Lastly, if you think you're better than a DEUG holder, go ahead and prove that to us.
Mr Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteIt really breaks my heart that you still believe that DEUG necessarily means the inability to conduct an academic research, while M.A. and Ph.D equal the ability to conduct them successfully in the exact sense of the word. Does talking about this disproportion of scales for you mean underestimating others. For me, it simply means that one has to get what they deserve and that the criteria to join the teaching profession must be equally taken into account when recruiting. Finally, if you would really like to make sure that we can not conduct an academic research, you're most welcome at any time to pay us a visit and discover a lot about us. But please, I would advise you to prepare yourself well and to take enough precautions so as not to be taken aback when that time comes. Kindest regards,
i know jamal personally, he is hard worker and yes he is brilliant in english, if he said that he really mean it.
ReplyDeletehis point means one thing he is scared about situation of education in morocco and about some assholes how the run the country and how not fair they are.
this writer has an inferiority complex since he was one of the brillant students in 1st sycle in university
ReplyDeleteMr Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteAh, you mean an unfairness complex. Ok, it's natural.
you're in Morocco dude! You can expect anything. If I were you, I'd leave this goddamn country and go teach somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know that those people who got their MA are not good or incomptent? Grades do not, by any means, reflect the overall performence of students. The best way to overcome all these, Ens and CPR have to call everyone to set for the exams. In so doing, each and everyone will be given a chance to prove his performence. In actual fact, there some universties who give grades generously, and this quite the reverse in Rabat universities.
ReplyDelete