Exactly one week within Fez, and the city has somehow wrung, kneaded, and macerated by body and soul. It was fun. Well, from the time since landing from the six-hour flight, I’ve enjoyed even the most troublesome things. For instance, the taxi culture. Taxi drivers skin and fleece even natives of their money. At least that’s what us visitors like to console ourselves with. Utilizing varying methods to circumvent the meter system, drivers construct a uniquely yet relatively accepted realm of services where you just know the chime of pocket change will cease as you crawl out of petite taxis. Or worse, your healthy wallet unwillingly goes on a diet. In the end, this mode of transportation effectively gets me to and from school.
Taxi Stand
Although complaining about the “daily struggle” of getting my education, I realize that most Moroccan natives don’t have this privilege or choice of receiving a higher education. However, contrary to immediate assumption, this is unlikely due to their inability to pay tuition but rather a myriad of other factors. Upon my visit to Fez University, I listened haphazardly to the randomly tossed facts about the university. “Yes,” one English professor stated, “our students number around 115…” Oh, I thought, that’s not very many “…thousand students”. What? In my confused stupor, the professor continued, “And for faculty we have about 22 … thousand. The university is completely free, and some students even receive a stipend for attending.” His unnecessary pauses threw me off before I realized the immensity of what he just said. Myself being accustomed to handing over 1 ½ kidneys, a large intestine, my favorite leg (it’s the left one by the way), and the contents of my debit card, I could not for the life of me understand that Morocco offered free schooling at the university level. The sheer number of students attending this university alone, coupled with the words free and stipend, his small statement had my mind in a frenzy. From whom do they receive funding to supply education to such a large student body? How are the faculty paid? Does the nation-state have increased taxes to compensate for this? How is this possible? When I asked, he just stated “it just is”. It just is. To think my current university constructs a bill that somehow amounts to $70,000 in tuition and fees, the idea that you can get a doctorate degree for free bolted past me. Upon further inquiry, I found that that there was some recent government debate attempting to propose charging students for their education, however this was outright refuted by other government officials and the public.
A section of Fez University
This system, although mysterious to myself (and clearly to that English professor), is possible. My visit to Fez University being proof of this. Undoubtedly, if proposed by any government officials or students within the United States, this idea would immediately be disproved with varying rationale for its unfeasibility. Yet, I’m sure Morocco will continue to stand tribute for such statements refusing to think outside our $70,000 box.
Touring the Old Medina
Amazing article Michelle! Your writing is so vivid, but it manages to fit in so much informative content!
Michelle, very good post! Obviously, your recent educational experience at the university in Fes, Morocco has caused you to ask some timely and relevant but difficult questions about the feasibility of ‘free’ public university education in the United States. I would encourage you to continue asking this type of public policy questions and to seek out practical solutions–solutions, however, that must be a Win-Win for everyone–those who receive the benefit of a ‘free’ service as well as for those taxpayers who bear the financial burden of paying for those ‘free’ services.
The real controversial question is: where do the resources (money) come from to provide the types of ‘free’ services and goods required for a society? Taxes, right? Okay, let’s take a look at the taxes that are levied upon the people as a whole. For a government entity with $XXX amount of money in the public treasury to be used for all goods and services demanded for that society, the people (government) must decide upon the amount of money allocated to each sector for the cost of public services and goods.
Practically speaking, one or many sector(s) budgets must be reduced or eliminated to justify adding another ‘free’ service such as ‘free’ public university education; and, staying within the budget of $XXX, can you convince the leaders of our country or the people of one of those sectors, Department of Defense, for example, that it is in their best interest to give up some of their services or goods (part or all of their budget) so that the government can fund ‘free’ public university education for all who desire it? Or, should you ask the government to reduce the benefits and associated costs of public health care so that ‘free’ public university can be offered? Thus far, this exercise has proven futile–everyone has turf to be protected.
Caution: any time a ‘free’ service program is added without additional taxes being levied upon the people, that incremental cost is added to the debt of the United States…which is now approximately $20 Trillion–disastrously unsustainable!
Nevertheless, Michelle, I encourage you to continue to ask tough questions! Some sectors of our entitlement programs appears to have lots of waste and bloated budgets. Possibly, some sectors (agencies) can be eliminated entirely. Most agencies should be operating on a zero-based budgeting system, but are not. I think all government agencies need a thorough review for cost efficiency.
The best to you.
Great article! It’s very interesting to hear how the Morrocan government value’s higher education. I like how you describe how flabbergasted you were after hearing it college was free and accurately describing the price of tuition in the US . It really go to show that the US needs to change the mind set on education..
Michelle,
Your surprise that education is free in Morocco gives thought to how that system really works. Are the students receiving a good education? I sincerely hope so. Hopefully, the students are appreciative of a free education.. That may be one reason so many students attend college. They may have already learned the value of an education without monetarily paying for it. Surely they don’t take the opportunity for granted.
Nice job!
Very proud of you Michelle! On the big effort in getting a education for you self ,love your article.
Great job, Michelle! I really liked this article, especially when you describe the unfathomable idea of having tuition-free higher education in the U.S. I’m amazed at the fact that more 115,000 students are able to receive free education. Hope you’re enjoying Morocco!