Crisis resolved, what future for the new academic year?

Crisis resolved, what future for the new academic year?
Crisis resolved, what future for the new academic year?

The crisis which shook the Faculties of Medicine for more than 11 months was finally resolved after marathon rounds of dialogue bringing together the new Minister of Higher Education, Azzedine El Midaoui, and medical students under the aegis of the Mediator of Kingdom.

Indeed, the fruitful results of the dialogue were concluded with the signing of a report, in which the government undertakes to respond to all the demands raised by the students concerning the reform of the training of medical studies .

Although the details of the said trial have not been made public, the students welcome the constitutional, effective and realistic response provided by the ministry to their main demands, in particular concerning the reduction of the duration of medical training. Same story with the new supervisory minister, Azzedine El Midaoui, who welcomed, Monday in Parliament, the speed with which the file was handled, testifying to the arduous political will to overcome all of the crises of this vital sector.

Moreover, the supervisory proposal consisted of applying the reform of the duration of training only to new promotions, without retroactive effect. Students who joined the Faculties of Medicine before March 13, 2023 (date of publication of the ministerial decree in the Official Bulletin) will continue to follow a seven-year course and will not be affected by this reform of the educational system.

To decide on this proposal, a first vote took place, the result of which was rejection, exacerbating tensions among the students, particularly those in the first year. On Thursday, students held a second vote to decide between resuming classes and boycotting. The result favored the resumption of studies, with 34.2% of votes in favor, against 27% opposed, finally marking the return of students to class.

“The white year” completed

The resolution of this crisis, which lasted far too long, made it possible not only to guarantee the strong return of future doctors to the lecture halls, but also to close the chapter of tensions between the former minister in charge, Abdellatif Miraoui, and medical students, while establishing a climate of dialogue and promoting the restoration of trust.

Having put an end to these social tensions, new questions are already emerging regarding the recovery of study time lost due to the boycott of courses and practical internships by students. The exams for the first and second semesters were scheduled by the Faculties, but were largely boycotted by future doctors, disrupting the progress of the academic year, both for old promotions and for new admits.

Students believe that it is now too late to catch up on lessons, especially since attendance is not compulsory in the modules concerned. Thus, the idea of ​​a blank year is largely rejected by students. However, they only need to pass the ordinary and remedial session exams to be able to continue the current academic year. “A three-month period was granted to us by the administration of our Faculty to prepare for the exams scheduled for the beginning of next January,” explains a student from the Faculty of Medicine of Oujda.

Although the organization and progress of the new academic year remain unclear for students, they remain confident about the communication from the administration of their Faculties.

Regarding practical internships, second cycle students (from the 3rd to the 5th year) will have the opportunity to carry them out during next summer, according to the information communicated by the medical students.

To do this, the supervisory ministry is currently looking into the operationalization of the regulation found concerning the file of students of the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, according to the assertions of Azzedine El Midaoui, during the oral questions session in the Chamber of Representatives. The objective is to guarantee the optimal and rapid implementation of the minutes signed with the students.

The cancellation of the sanctions finally recorded

In the meantime, the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy have taken the unanimous decision to cancel the sanctions imposed on several students, thus allowing them to resume classes, in accordance with the commitments in the settlement report signed on Thursday 7 November 2024.

It should be noted that the lifting of sanctions was one of the main demands of the students and constituted a sine qua non condition for the resolution of this crisis, despite the seriousness of the facts alleged against the students by the Faculties of Medicine.

The future doctors suspended following the demonstrations were accused of “inciting and encouraging a boycott of courses and exams without the agreement of the Faculty management, as well as disrupting the smooth running of studies”.

According to a decision signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Marrakech, under Cadi Ayyad University, the sanctions taken against five medical students have been canceled.

For its part, the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca announced the lifting of sanctions against five students in the medicine sector, including two members of the National Commission of Students in Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy.

Finally, the Council of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, under the Mohammed V University, also lifted the sanctions against the striking students, which varied between one year and two years of suspension. These decisions pave the way for a new chapter in relations between students and the administration, marking the end of a period of tension.

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