Morocco: “Education for All” A reading between the lines

Under the umbrella term of “School of Success” and “Education for All”, numerous programs have been launched aimed at training teachers on the use of Information, Communication and Technology or ICT, and preparing them to implement the newest technological devices in their classes. This seems substantial for an effective learning-teaching enterprise, but unless school necessities have been fulfilled, luxury is a matter to be postponed.

Many schools, chiefly in rural areas, have electricity and water shortages, insufficient classrooms and instructors, high student drop-out rates, vandalism, addiction, etc; though, they are littered with the latest technological material whose soaring expenses might remedy all the aforementioned challenges. So, what’s up? Is there some sort of monkey business targeting our educational system? Do “Education for All” and “School of Success” as national slogans hold any credibility? Why so much emphasis on quantity at the expense of quality? Could our educational system be a source for profits?

It’s common knowledge that the world’s affairs are run by a few giant companies that students provide for them loyal consumers of their products (teaching approaches and materials, hardware, software, aids, experts…). Hence, we can all fathom the reason why conferences, seminars and colloquia are being held. It’s of course not for the sake of “Education for All”, rather it is “Consumption for All”. For those companies, schools are seen as markets and knowledge acquisition represents product consumption.

Nowadays, the new economic trend is no longer about filling stomachs, rather it targets minds that consume technology. The real aim of the modern colonialism is not only to control people’s wealth, because economic and political control can never be complete and effective without mental control. Our educational system is turning into a Shakespearian stage where schools, students and parents are merely players. Schools act as markets, students as consumers, teachers as mediators, parents as sponsors and governments watching as the audience.

In brief, “”Education for All” means no child to be left behind without consuming the new technology. In other words, when a pupil drops out from school that means the market has lost a consumer and this is a costly marketing blunder.