Confusion over start of academic year, delivery modes

Fears about coronavirus infections, educational institutions’ lack of respect for governmental health protocols and uncertainty about the teaching model are contributing to confusion over the date on which the Moroccan academic year will start.

Morocco's universities are supposed to begin in mid-October with a hybrid model that gives students the choice of remote or in-person education or both, according to a statement issued earlier by the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Professional Training.

But there has been a call from the National Observatory for the Education and Training System (NOETS) for serious discussions in the sector about the possibility of postponing the resumption of academic activities to a later date, as not everyone is in agreement.

"We cannot keep postponing things. We have to find a real and pragmatic solution to the problem," said Yamina El Kirat El Allame, international adviser and consultant in the field of higher education and former vice dean for research and cooperation in the faculty of letters and human sciences of Mohammed V University of Rabat, Morocco.

"True, there is a lot of confusion about the start date of the new academic year in Moroccan universities as most universities are still not done with the spring semester exams. Until now, nobody can tell for sure when the academic year will start and what model we will adopt, remote or in-person education or hybrid or both," said El Allame.

Problems include institutions that are not equipped for online learning and large numbers of students unable to afford internet connections.

Health protocols ignored

Another challenge is measures to protect the health of staff and students.

The National Observatory has issued a 26 September statement regretting "the lack of respect for the health protocol announced by the government in a group of educational institutions".

The statement confirms a 21 September media release issued by the National Syndicate of Higher Education (NSHE) stating that "some administrative officials in Moroccan universities violate the official precautionary measures that must be adhered to", and held them "responsible for the bad consequences of this trend".

The NOETS statement also unveiled confusion about the organisation of examinations in "a group of university sites in terms of preparation, organisation, and correction”. This had, in some cases, led to the contamination of professors and administrators, according to El Allame.

Higher education expert Ahmed Atia, head of advisory and research at the faculty of medical technology at the University of Tripoli in Libya, told University World News that the higher education authorities should call on “all health professionals, researchers, and academics to be on the front line and play a leading role in emergency planning and management teams” .

"Assistance protocols, such as those used in disaster situations, should cover areas relevant to the individual and collective health of the population," Atia added.

A digital solution

El Allame suggested a solution, saying the ministry should “invest in the digitalisation of the sector and distance learning through providing the means for universities to get equipped; training for the teaching staff so as to be able to do things properly; and support to the students by offering facilities to have access to distance learning including laptops and access to internet”.

"There is, unfortunately no clear vision in Morocco. This could have been the opportunity for the Ministry to invest in distance learning," said El Allame.

On 8 October 47 new COVID-19 fatalities were reported and raised the death toll in Morocco to 2,486, with 2,929 new infections, the highest single-day count since the beginning of the pandemic, according to CoronaTracker.