Abdellah Benahnia
Getting to deeply know about a notion or the use of a term sometimes requires a close contact with its settings and surroundings in order to make it sound more meaningful. Perhaps the notion” Mickey Mouse Degree”, for example, did not mean much to me personally in reality few years ago until I actually landed in North America. Though I used to hear the utterance being used in some conversations here and there, I wasn’t able to really give it much attention. The truth off the matter is that when I landed in one of the best companies in Florida and had the privilege to be part of the Moroccan-American Cultural Exchange Program to work for year as a “Cultural Representative” of Morocco in 1989 at EPCOT CENTER, Walt Disney World in Orlando, I was able to physically see and be part of Disney University. One of the requirements off this program and I order to fully fit into this mission; each selected candidate must undergo a rigorous training program for some weeks at “Disney University”. This intensive training includes customer service and satisfaction, customer care, public speaking and so on. All of those training programs were accompanied by field visits to ensure its mastery and retention. At the end of that training program, the university bestowed a well-deserved “Disney University Degree” on us all. Yes, indeed the certificate bears a Mickey Mouse picture, but it truly had a value. It made a huge difference in my personal life and did teach me a lot. As a public speaker, I still can realize the impact I can have on any audience until today. Yes, you can say it is a “Mickey Mouse Degree”, but that one is not something “unreal”, it is rather a great certificate from a well established institution. Therefore, I couldn’t believe that people use that name or term for something unreal.
I started to hear about the notion of “Mickey Mouse Degree” again and again in people’s conversations but I often tried to stop them and make them aware about the tremendous efforts that the coaches used to put in such programs. However, I came to know what they mean and it is nothing but a term people tend to use for a degree or a certificate that has no value or existence. What they don’t know probably is that the actual degree from Disney University, in reality, has at least a value that I still recognize. Perhaps what they probably refer to is also the degrees that provide no training or curricula, or perhaps have mere notions and materials that would benefit the learner. Such degrees would remain meaningless and worthless in the sight of many, but may benefit others.
The notion of “Faked Degree”
Like many other Morocans, I was indeed astonished by the scandal of selling degrees in one of the universities. The problem was raised few days ago while investigations are still taking place to define the “Qaylish network” and those who used that “faked” degree. Though it is an immoral and unaccepted act, it perhaps opened the door for further investigations in other universities and it did reflect the low-level of intellectualism we are heading to these days.
Just the spread of the notion of “Mickey Mouse Degree”, the notion of “Faked Degree” is also spreading, but with much fear that it may uncover the sad reality of many personalities who are holding high status in the Moroccan society and perhaps in other sectors. However, and surprisingly enough, “Faked” degree is not for free. According to what had been revealed in this late scandal, it seems like this degree is worth thousands of dollars while the beholders seem to be many. Unfortunately, the list that was circulating in social media lately, reveals the names of people who hold key position in our society (however, we do not know if that list is accurate or not). Now, you can imagine the harm and injustice that may occur while a puffy person may hold such a non-deserved degree.
Where is education heading to?
There is no doubt that education is a vehicle towards gaining apiece of bread and securing a stable job, while holding a considerable amount of knowledge and intellectualism to make better fit in your immediate community in particular, and in society in general. Therefore, it is through education that a nation can develop its individuals, infrastructure, and gain a respected status among other nations of the world. As stated in many of my previous articles, a proper education system should follow what I called “Abdul Paradigm”. It is also referred to as the “FSS Paradigm. The letters respectively refer to: Family; School; and the Street. That is to say, effective and reliable education starts with the family first (that is where the kid grasps good principles, ethics, and morals that can shape his or her personality later); the School is where those notions are deeply enhanced and polished; while the Street remains the actual real context where the behavior of the learner displayed, exhibited, and truly tested. Hence, having a clean street where there are no drags distributed to kids and adults, no crime and any sorts violence, and where people are displaying good manners and behavior, is a crystal-clear indication that our education is indeed a vehicle towards preparing young generations to be loyal, active and productive individuals who would hold hard onto their values, ethics, and principles, as well as their linguistic and cultural heritage.
It seems like may people are losing faith in our education today. Such negative scandals spread like fire, but they do actually lead to low self-esteem and loosing trust and faith in the education system among the current generation.
Towards a true reform of the education system: What needs to be done?
“Faked Degree” is just one aspect of corruption that may exist in our education institutes, including universities and higher schools. Violence, and “Sex for Grades” is another sort of corruption that the authorities have been (thankfully) doing their best to irradicate. People are now and more than ever asking for a true reform of the education system and student-life. Hence, the Masters’ programs do have actual face2face sessions where students can come to class and listen and contribute to live sessions with their professors. This ritual seems to be almost totally absent in the doctoral programs. Not having regular classes on weekly basis, may push candidates to just register the title of their research dissertation and completely vanish. In most cases, they are left to work on the articles they are supposed to publish and the rest of the dissertation to be completed. In some other cases, students are left in the dark and they have to find ways to complete their task on their own (although their supervisors are paid extra money to guide them and serve their need). As far as I recall, the doctoral program in the United States of America, courses were carried out on weekly basis and some candidates had to drive miles to get to class. I personally can’t imagine a doctoral program with “no daily classes”! Some universities still schedule some training sessions but those are very limited and may not be of great help. The purpose of having courses related to the major a person chose as well as other elective courses is to actually enrich the knowledge of students and let them feel that the degree they will get is indeed well deserved.
Perhaps, we should not blame the “Qaylish case” and the faked degree holders more than blaming those at key positions so that they can seek a crucial reform of our university system. And by the way, the case phenomenon may not be pertaining to Morocco only, but perhaps it does exist in other nations, and therefore everyone must remain alert and vigilant.
The reform suggested here is a reform that would include and be based on the views and ideas of experts in the field, and foresee a strategic plan that restores the goals and objectives of education in our country, reinforces and restores our values and morals, and guides our current and future generations towards their ideological, religious, moral, and national commitments, their pride in the religious, linguistic, and cultural heritage of their ancestors, and their loyalty to this dear homeland.
A. Benahnia
Expert in Education & Cultural issues
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