After Morocco’s independence, French teachers left the country in successive waves. There were three major departure campaigns, matched by three campaigns of Moroccanization of the education system: the first in 1957, the second in 1970, and the third in 1975.
As for the second wave, I do not know exactly which French teachers left, but I clearly remember their replacements, because that campaign coincided with my entry into middle school. I entered alongside several teachers who had taught me in primary school, including Si Bendahmane and Si Haidar. A large number of others were directly recruited without formal training, among them:
El Ghoul: he taught me mathematics, later became a French-language inspector, and eventually a regional education official.
Mohamed Mellouk: he taught me mathematics before compulsory military service took him away. He is now a French teacher.
Mimoun Amari: he taught me French and later moved into natural sciences.
Hassani Abdelghani: a mathematics teacher who later became a banking executive.
Mohamed Mir, father of Mounir El Ghiouani: a mathematics teacher who later worked in the tourism sector and then became an executive in a sugar factory.
Belaïd, Boumediene Mohamed, Mebchour, Harraq, and many others.
During the third campaign, teachers such as Armon and his wife, Piester and his wife, Delbar and his wife, Boursiakel, Rodriguez, Coumier, Barraud, Marchix, and others left. They were replaced by respected teachers including Jelloul (myself), Lakhdar Bouali, Abdelaziz Bouali, Qaddad, Mansouri, Jbara, Ibrahimi, Zemmouri, Zarrouki, Othmane, and others.
I am mentioning only some of those who were recruited directly.
As for how I myself became a teacher, here is the story:
In 1977, I was studying biology at the University of Rabat. While heading to the train station in Oujda to travel back to Rabat, I noticed a group of young men standing in line in front of a garage.
I asked them:
“What’s being handed out here? Achoura gifts?”
They replied:
“No, teaching jobs!”
So I immediately joined the queue.
Those who held a high school diploma were assigned to middle schools or high schools, while those without one were sent to primary schools.
When my turn came, the officer asked:
“What subject do you teach?”
I answered:
“Mathematics.”
He said:
“You’ll work in Taourirt.”
I replied:
“No, find me a position in natural sciences.”
He answered:
“Then you’ll go to Debdou.”
I said:
“Find me geography instead.”
He replied:
“In that case, Berkane.”
I answered:
“I’m not interested.”
He then asked:
“Where do you want to go?”
I replied:
“Either Ahfir or nowhere.”
He said:
“The only position left in Ahfir is physics.”
I answered:
“I’ll take it!”
That very same day, I went to the middle school and asked the principal if I could start working.
He looked at me and said:
“First, go and do something about that messy hair of yours!”
By Jelloul
2010
