Disparity and drop-out: COVID-19 deepens educational inequality in Morocco

by Noureddine Radouai

 

All over the world, the new academic year has started under unprecedented circumstances, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Morocco is no exception.  Decision-makers in the education sector differ on the best way to continue the learning process, while containing the spread of the virus.

The ministry of education in the North African kingdom has chosen a blended approach, in which parents can opt either for attendance or online learning modes for their children.  This ‘policy to have no policy’ deepens the divide between those who have the luxury of making that choice, and those who struggle daily to make ends meet.  This article discusses the impact that COVID-19 has had on the education sector in Morocco, in deepening the vertical inequalities (between social classes) and horizontal disparities (between cities and villages) that already existed prior to the pandemic.

As was the case in every nation in the world, Morocco was infected by the coronavirus. Swiftly, the kingdom followed a strict – somewhat repressive – lockdown in an attempt to contain the pandemic. These measures were justified because the country has a fragile and underfunded health sector, incapable of dealing with a large number of daily infections. Moreover, education was affected by the outbreak, classes were suspended in schools and lectures were delivered online since March. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training made an effort to finish the academic year in these unprecedented conditions in the schooling process. To ensure equal opportunity between students from different social backgrounds, the unified national baccalaureate exam (the final high school exam) focused only on topics covered in face-to-face classes completed before the lockdown.  Despite these efforts, there are deeply ingrained inequalities that already exist throughout Moroccan society, and in the education system, that are exacerbated not just by the pandemic but by a lack of government policy to address them.

 

Disparity and dropout in Morocco’s education sector

The school dropout rate is a significant issue in Morocco.  In a 2018 report, the Supreme Council of Education, Training, and Scientific Research indicated that Morocco has succeeded to lower the primary school dropout rate to 2.2% in cities and 4.8% in the urban regions. Yet, the rate increases in secondary education to reach 12.9% in urban centers and 16.8% in rural areas.

The same report demonstrated that starting from the secondary level, the disparity in access to education between urban centers and rural areas, and males and females, widens significantly.  For instance, in 2016-2017, secondary education rates are 96.9% for urban children (with parity between boys and girls) and 75.8% for their rural counterparts (81.9% male and 69.4% female). Moreover, inequality increases in high school education. The high school rate in urban centers is 86.3%, while it drops substantially in rural areas to 49% for males and 32% for females.

These statistics illustrate unequal access to education between males and females as well as between cities and villages.   COVID-19 worsens the situation, as the pandemic widens social inequality between the rich and the poor and increases levels of poverty and unemployment, which eventually affect the ability of families to educate their children.

 

Poverty and unemployment

In a recent report, Oxfam International stated that the aggregate wealth of billionaires in the Middle East and North Africa increased by $10 billion during the Covid-19 pandemic, while around 45 million people have been pushed into poverty. According to a report from Haut Commissariat au Plan, the Moroccan economy lost 589,000 jobs, of which more than 88% were in rural areas, with total unemployment reaching almost 1.5 million.

With a rise in the poverty rate, access to education became a heavy financial burden on the shoulders of poor families, as online education requires electronic devices they cannot afford to buy.  In Morocco, poor families do not only consider education a right, under the Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the kingdom signed on January 26^th, 1990, and ratified on June 21^st, 1993, but it is the only tool available for them to penetrate the social pyramid and improve their socio-economic conditions and those of their relatives.  However, if education requires additional financial resources to obtain devices and internet connectivity, poor children will likely abandon their schooling.  Consequently, the child’s fundamental right to education under Article 31 of the Constitution will not be met and poor families will never be able to get out of the poverty trap.

The social and economic impact of COVID-19 is enormous. Yet, the greater effect is on vulnerable and poor communities. Haut Commissariat au Plan estimates that the percentage of citizens vulnerable to poverty in Morocco will increase from 17.1% in 2019 to 19.87% in 2020. These numbers indicate there will be an additional million poor in 2020.  Moreover, COVID-19 will hit hard those who work in the informal sector; particularly low-skilled Moroccan and foreign communities, both migrants and refugees. Consequently, the current unemployment rate increased from 9% to 13% at the national level, from 7.8% to 12.2% in the centers, and 10.6% to 14.1% in the rural areas.  As families struggle to afford both basic living expenses and the extra financial burden of online learning, many poor students will be forced to drop out of education. Since poor Moroccans live hand-to-mouth, this situation will lead to widening inequalities in access to education across the kingdom.

Internet connectivity

There is a significant disparity in connectivity between urban centers and rural areas, where 14 million (40%) of Moroccans live. According to the World Bank, in 2015 only 47% of the rural population had access to the internet compared to 76% of urban households. This digital gap between the two communities violates the constitutional rights of rural citizens to access different sources of information including health consultancy and education opportunities, as entitled by the Constitution.

According to the same World Bank report, the main factors that contribute to this reality are related to the prices of subscriptions and equipment compared to the average income in the semi-urban and rural areas. The private internet providers concentrate their efforts on the populated urban centers, where the purchasing power is high and demand for services is strong.  Students in rural areas often suffer from a lack of suitable classrooms, schoolbooks, and other educational materials. It is not unusual to see in the same classroom pupils from different grades being taught by one teacher, due to a lack of funding for facilities and teachers.

According to a 2019 Freedom House report, the variation of connectivity between urban and rural areas persists and network coverage is unequal.  In its latest annual report in 2017, the National Agency for the Regulation of Telecommunications (ANRT) stated that city residents are more accessible to the internet than village dwellers, with a rate of 67% to 43%, respectively. This disparity is attributed to the high level of illiteracy, particularly among rural women, which represents another serious challenge facing universal internet access in Morocco. The illiteracy rate in rural areas in Morocco is 47% of which 60% are women.

 

Conclusion

COVID-19 deepens the gap between social classes in Morocco and makes it difficult for the poor to penetrate the social hierarchy and improve their living conditions. In the North African kingdom, education is one of the main black holes in social policy. As COVID-19 pushes one million citizens into poverty and reduces people’s income, families struggle to secure basic needs for their children and internet connectivity and electronic devices will be out of reach, forcing more children to drop out of education.  A 2013 survey showed that the share of national income of the richest 10% in the country was 12 fold of the share of national income of the poorest 10%, and as the education gap between social classes widens those inequalities persist.

As the new 2020-2021 academic year is about to start, the Minister of Education and Vocational Training decided that it is up to parents to choose if they want their children to attend classes in schools or study online. While the only role of decision-makers is to make a decision, this is clearly a policy to have no policy, and simply deepens further the existing inequalities in society.  While those who can afford it will be free to make that choice, it is a violation of the right to education of those who cannot afford access to the internet.  As in many countries, COVID-19 worsens an already catastrophic social situation in Morocco, in which basic rights are absent.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Noureddine Radouai is a master’s degree student in Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar.  He obtained his MA in Media and Cultural Studies from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and he earned a BA, with honors, in Mass Communication, with a minor in International Affairs, from Qatar University.  He is interested in social policy, economic development, and the political economy of the MENA region. 

Inaccessibility to online learning in India: Re-imagining a rights-based approach

by Shrutika Pandey and Rongeet Poddar

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive impact on the education sector in India, as it has around the world.  The imposition of a prolonged nationwide lockdown has rendered traditional classroom learning impracticable and has led to the advent of online education as an expedient tool to prevent further reduction of teaching hours. However, the adoption of e-learning tools raises concerns of inequitable access and further widening of the socio-economic divide.  In this article, the authors argue for the adoption of a rights-based approach by the Indian state to address the widening digital divide and facilitate educational attainments.

Deeply entrenched inaccessibility

National Statistical Office data (2017-18) reveals that just 10.7% of households in India have a computer while only 23.8% enjoy access to internet facilities. The rural areas and the poorest households particularly bear the brunt of unequal access. Furthermore, the national figure for persons of above the age of 5 with the ability to operate a computer and the ability to use the internet also stand at a lowly 16.5% and 20.1% respectively.

A recent survey conducted in the state of Bihar has also revealed how structural factors constrain access. In many instances, the children in the family do not retain control over devices such as smartphones which are bare-minimum for online classes. The survey has also highlighted how gender-based disparities restrict access to e-learning for children. A disproportionate burden of the household chores often limits the participation of girls. Likewise, the boys in the family are also engaged in work as the pandemic has had an adverse impact on the family’s economic well-being.

Children with special needs are excluded from remote learning while many with disabilities are also struggling to attend online classes.  As a consequence, distance-learning has increased the likelihood of drop-out rates.  The integration of a rights-based paradigm must therefore be integral to an inclusive educational policy to bridge the digital divide as outlined by UNESCO.

Legal regime in India

The Karnataka High Court in India has recently issued an order to enable private schools to conduct online classes, limiting the screen-time in consonance with the Pragyata guidelines for remote learning, issued by the central government. The order was issued in response to a blanket ban on online education by the state government. The government decision had been challenged to be violative of Article 21A of the Constitution of India.

Article 21A (added by the 86th Amendment to the Constitution, 2002) imposes a mandate on the state to provide free and compulsory education to children between the ages of 6 and 14. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (hereinafter mentioned as the Act) was enacted in 2009 to pursue the goal of universal education in India. However, the current state of affairs demands a thorough re-evaluation of the existing regime in acknowledgement of access disparities. The definition of ‘access’ must be evolved from mere physical proximity to schools to include social, geographical and qualitative access to a formal, fully functional school with infrastructural facilities, learning materials and human resources.

However, access to internet and other e-learning facilities has been left outside of the purview as the Act did not envisage such a prolonged phase of social distancing, enforced due to the pandemic. Thus, the law is rendered ineffective under the present circumstances, failing to ensure effective and equitable access to online learning tools.

Education as a human right

An effective and equitable access to education requires policymakers to reimagine education as a human right in India.  Section 9 (c) of the Act lays down that children belonging to disadvantaged groups must not be discriminated against and prevented from completing elementary education ‘on any ground’.   A liberal interpretation of the provision offers a wider export to the phrase ‘on any ground’ to include digital access in its ambit. Moreover, Section 12(1) (c) requires unaided schools to provide ‘special facilities’ for students belonging to the economically weaker sections admitted in their schools and claim reimbursement for the same from the Central Government.

Lastly, the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 also requires educational institutions and state authorities to provide ‘inclusive education’ to disabled children. The statutory mandate must be read in the context of a Kerala High Court decision, upholding a student’s right to access the internet within the right to life under the scope of Article 21 of the Constitution.  The decision recognizes that internet connectivity is indispensable in the pursuit of holistic education.

The ‘balancing of rights’ approach is integral to adopting an inclusive education policy in the immediate future.  The concept is not alien to Indian constitutional jurisprudence and has been affirmed in a landmark Supreme Court judgement which unequivocally pronounced the right to privacy.  The apex court in India clarifies that that a balancing test must not be restrictive such that it constrains the effective operation of a fundamental right.

In the instant case, the fundamental right to free and compulsory education under Article 21A of the Constitution must be reinforced by the anti-exclusionary principle enshrined within the right to equality under Article 14.  The provision of education has to be reinvigorated by the guarantee of non-discrimination such that no child is left to bear the brunt of digital divide.  The disparate impact doctrine adds another dimension to the right to equality as it prohibits indirect discrimination resulting from facially neutral policies.  India’s constitutional jurisprudence thus bears immense potential to reinvigorate the right to access education if a guarantee of internet access and non-discrimination is read into its ambit.

International standards

The judiciary in India has often resorted to international law instruments to broaden the scope of fundamental rights in India.  The goal of enhanced accessibility in education has been underlined in the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) General Comment 13.  Education is recognized as a human right under Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Articles 13 and 14 of The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)  It serves as a vehicle for empowerment and bears the potential to lift ‘economically and socially marginalized’ children out of poverty.  General Comment 13 highlights the importance of computer facilities and information technology for an educational institution. The CESCR urges state parties to be flexible to ‘adapt to the needs of changing societies’. However, the insistence on ‘adaptability’ cannot compromise a state party’s immediate obligation to ensure accessibility in violation of the principle of non-discrimination.  Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) also recognizes the right of children to education on the basis of equal opportunity.

The existing jurisprudence on an inclusive education also requires states to ensure effective participation of children with disabilities in remote learning.  In International Association Autism Europe v. France, the European Committee of Social Rights held that France had failed to significantly raise the proportion of children with autism being educated in either general or specialist schools in comparison to other children. Limitation in accessibility constituted indirect discrimination and was thus held to be a violation of the right to social integration for disabled children as mandated under the revised European Social Charter.

The Committee relied on the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Thlimmenos v. Greece which had laid down that the principle of non-discrimination under Article 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights ‘is also violated when States without an objective and reasonable justification fail to treat differently persons whose situations are significantly different’.  CESCR General Comment No.5  further requires states to provide necessary support to bring persons with disabilities ‘up to the same level of education’ as their non-disabled peers.

 

Conclusion

India’s National Education Policy, 2020 offers a cue to overcome the insurmountable barriers of exclusion in the long run as it seeks to adopt technological tools that would enable better participation and improve learning outcomes. There have been recent attempts to install digital screens at public libraries to enable access to online classes. Television and radio platforms have also been utilized to bridge the digital divide for students belonging to disempowered communities. The fundamental premise of a rights-based approach rests upon recognizing the educational needs of all children without discrimination. A comprehensive appraisal of children’s lived experiences thus can alone lead to the inception of innovative strategies that are truly equitable. The state has a positive obligation to ensure a wider reach of e-learning facilities by aiding educational institutions.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Shrutika Pandey is currently engaged with Human Rights Defenders Alert at New Delhi as a Litigation Assistant.  She has previously written on topics concerning human rights in several national and international blogs.

 

Rongeet Poddar is a recent graduate of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences and is set to join an Indian law firm. He has previously contributed to multiple blogs on commercial laws and human rights.

 

International Human Rights News: Focus on the impact of Coronavirus on vulnerable groups

by Pauline Canham, Lauren Ng, Bethany Webb-Strong,  Julia Kedziorek, Alana Meier, Amita Dhiman, 

As the world goes into lockdown to tackle COVID-19, some sectors of society are particularly at risk, not only to contracting the virus but to the very measures being put in place to protect us all.  This week we look at how the most vulnerable are being impacted by this unprecedented crisis.

The Homeless in the UK

“Stay at home.”

This plea, now an instruction, permeates through the coronavirus crisis and echoes around the United Kingdom.  But where does it leave those who do not have a home, or at least a safe home, to go back to?

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, published a report in 2019 outlining that despite being the world’s fifth largest economy, 14 million people in the UK live in poverty, with the number of rough sleepers and homeless persons having increased throughout the period of austerity.

This group is particularly vulnerable in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic.  They are more likely to suffer from poor nutrition, have unaddressed health complications and no safe place to self-isolate from other people.  With the hoarding of toilet paper, food, sanitary gels and essential medicines, they are unlikely to be able to access these essential items to protect them from the virus.  Furthermore, the closure of stores, and organisations such as gyms and public bathrooms, has led to significant disruption in support systems, and the ability to maintain hygiene standards.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has written to local councils advising that housing must be found for all rough sleepers in order to prevent further spread of the virus.  However, the lack of clarity has resulted in many remaining without a home.  Hotels and offices are also being used to house rough sleepers, although figures of how many have been accommodated across the country have yet to emerge.

 

Those in detention

Life has ground to a global halt as many countries subject their nations to strict lockdown.  Prison settings are particularly vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus and preventative measures are inadequate in overcrowded prisons without adequate handwashing facilities.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that prisons are unprepared and must act immediately to avoid ‘huge mortality rates’.

Without increased testing, the virus is likely to spread rapidly amongst inmates.  Those deprived of their liberty are more vulnerable to the psychological impact of severe isolation measures.  Lockdown in prisons in England and Wales bans family visits leaving inmates confined to cells for 23 hours a day.

In the United Kingdom, immigration detainees with underlying health conditions face the prospect of 3 months in solitary confinement. Detention may only be imposed where there is a realistic prospect of removal from the UK, yet many individuals cannot be returned because their countries have been devastated by the pandemic.  Legal action in the UK which argued that the Home Office has failed to protect immigration detainees led to the release of almost 300 people from detention centres earlier in March.

The psychological impact of quarantine upon children is raising concerns in the United States. Judge Dolly M Gee of the US District Court has called for the release of detained migrant children after four children tested positive in a shelter in New York.

Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director in Europe, has called for ‘the boldest of actions’ in response: ‘we must not leave anyone behind in this fight’.

 

Indigenous people around the world

The CODIV-19 pandemic has proved the inadequacy of delivering equity to indigenous people, denying them access to health care.  Indigenous people are one of the most vulnerable groups because of their natural immunological vulnerability caused by civilisation diseases and poor access to clean water, suitable housing and healthcare.  Many communities in Australia receive additional soap and sanitisers supplies, but sadly this is a drop in the ocean.  The healthcare system in aboriginal communities is not equipped to cope with the pandemic and suspending non-essential medical treatments only exacerbates the situation.

In Brazil, since one medical worker from the Kokoma tribe tested positive for coronavirus, doctors became increasingly concerned about indigenous communities, because respiratory infections tend to spread quickly through tribes.  Many children suffer from anaemia, malnutrition and have lung conditions because of constant forest fires, which makes them particularly vulnerable.

Older generations also face a greater risk of death from COVID-19.  Therefore, if village elders pass away, their wisdom and social organisation will not be passed onto younger generations which may lead to the disappearance of their culture.

Many indigenous people have decided to isolate themselves either within their communities, or out in nature.  Once again, this vulnerable group cannot expect any sufficient external support because as Marlene Poitras, Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief for Alberta, states; they have never been a priority.

 

Women

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, both highlighting and deepening pre-existing social and economic inequalities, it is important to acknowledge the disproportionate burdens that are being placed upon women.  As Maria Holsberg, humanitarian and disaster risk advisor at the UN Women Asia and Pacific stated, “Crisis always exacerbates gender inequality.”

Foremost, women are a large majority of those working on the front lines of the COVID response. According to the World Health Organization, 70% of workers in the health and social sector are women.  Women also comprise the majority in sectors being hit the hardest economically including precarious work and jobs within the service sector.  For example, a quarter of women across the EU fill roles that go unpaid if they don’t work.

Boniol et al. (2019)

Additionally, with school closures impacting 91% of the world’s students, childcare is moving from the paid economy of schools and nurseries to the unpaid one.  Older relatives ‘social-distancing’ also are now in need of additional care and support.  This shines light on the ‘care crisis’ as these types of unpaid care will fall most heavily on women, thus limiting their work and economic opportunities.  Some countries like Australia are compensating for this by making childcare services ‘fee-free’ for families, despite potentially disastrous impacts for care centres.

Policies and public health responses must account for the sex and gendered effects and experiences of the outbreak.  A gender analysis approach is needed to address coronavirus concerns – an approach that includes sex-disaggregated data, recognising the crucial role that woman must play in the decision-making process.

Finally, the toll of the lockdown on women suffering from domestic abuse came to light this week after a survey of organisations that help domestic abuse victims revealed a dramatic increase in cases.  The UN Chief, Antonio Guterres is calling for urgent action to address the surge.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061052

 

Children

The WHO has established that only a very small proportion of children have contracted coronavirus but the crisis is impacting children in a variety of other ways.  In an effort to ‘flatten the curve’, some states have imposed severe restrictions on some vulnerable groups, including children.

In the Philippines, authorities have resorted to barbaric acts such as confining children inside coffins and cages if found in violation of the covid-19 regulations. In some cases, mothers have been arrested for violating the regulations.  Human Rights Watch officials said the locking up of children would increase the transmission of the disease and the government must prioritize the right to health, while respecting the human rights of all their citizens.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the government imposed a blanket ban on children and the elderly from leaving their houses, issuing fines for violations.  An exception was made only for children with disabilities, who are allowed to take a walk with their parents within 50 to 100 metres of the house. Activists said that though restrictions on some rights during the Covid-19 pandemic are justified, they need to be backed with proper evidence and be non-discriminatory in nature.

Due to the closure of schools, UNESCO has recommended that states  ‘adopt a variety of hi-tech, low-tech and no tech solutions to assure the continuity of learning’. Governments must adopt measures for the challenges faced due to this sudden loss of schooling.

 

 

Other stories making the news around the world

International

• Rights experts warn against discrimination during the COVID-19 crisis (UN News)
• International Mine Awareness Day: milestones reached (UN News)

Africa

• Fighting must stop to avert coronavirus outbreak in Libya (UN News)
• UN chief remembers the one million killed in the Rwanda genocide, 26 years on (UN News)
• Solar energy being used to power water holes in Nigeria (UN News)
• Freedom of expression under attack during draconian lockdown in Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe Independent)

Asia

• Human Rights Watch calls for the prosecution of the Head of the Afghan ISIS group (Human Rights Watch)
• UN highlights the plight of migrant and daily wage workers in India amid COVID-19 crisis (UN News)

South and South-east Asia

• Chinese human rights lawyer freed then immediately quarantined(BBC News)

Australasia

• Creeping authoritarianism in Australia as a response to the coronavirus crisis(Guardian)

Europe

• Human Rights Watch call for improved hygiene conditions in refugee camps(Human Rights Watch)
• Rights for farm workers needed to ensure EU food supplies (AL Jazeera)
• Council of Europe calls for greater human rights protection for the Roma community on International Roma Day (Council of Europe)

Middle East

• Hospital attacks in Syria show a disregard for international law by warring parties (UN News)
• Women and children killed in shelling of a prison in Yemen (UN News)
• Domestic workers risk abuse amid COVID-19 crisis (Al Jazeera)

North America

• Trump administration targets asylum seekers during coronavirus crisis(Human Rights Watch)

Latin America

• Ecuador has one of South America’s biggest coronavirus outbreaks (NPR)

Human Rights in Asia Conference 2018

By the Human Rights in Asia conference Team

Postgraduate students from the University of Essex Human Rights Centre are proud to announce that the tenth edition of the annual Human Rights in Asia Conference will take place on 24th March, from 10:00AM to 5:00PM in the Essex Business School (Auditorium 2.2) at the Colchester campus, University of Essex.