After seven months of strike, medical students are trying to return to normalcy. Determined and committed, they do not intend to give up until justice is achieved. Under the slogan « March of Anger, » medical, pharmacy, and dental students organized a new protest this Tuesday, which turned into a gathering in front of the parliament in Rabat after being banned by the authorities.
The march, which did not cross the barrier of law enforcement, took place from the parliament to « Bab El Had » in Rabat. The students responded to the call of Higher Education Minister Abdellatif Miraoui, urging them to take the exams, while linking the resolution of disagreements to this step.
Accompanied by their parents and guardians, medical students hope for parliamentary mediation. « The mediation efforts are commendable, but we do not know if they can stand up to the government and impose our demands, or if they will remain at an impasse, » they said.
As usual, the parents of medical and pharmacy students intervene to defend their children’s interests. During the last crises with the government, they were more numerous in protests than their children. Recently, the parents addressed a desperate letter to the royal cabinet, expressing their concerns about the reforms in the medical education sector. Once again, they came from different cities to support their children.
Tuesday’s march aimed to « renew and reaffirm the students’ demands, which have not changed since the beginning of this crisis, » according to the students. This demonstration marks two weeks of protest and is a response to the government’s indifference.
Alongside parliamentary mediation efforts, the students expressed their frustration with the government’s lack of seriousness, repeated setbacks, and unfair handling of their case. They reject the idea that dialogue with the government is merely « negotiation. »
The points of disagreement presented to the parliamentarians are clear: cancellation of zero grades, suspensions, dissolution of offices, organization of exams in two sessions, and modification of the government proposal regarding the years of medical students’ training. The proposal for pharmacy is considered positive, with some points needing revision.
The students do not fear a « blank year » and expressed it in their slogans. « If Minister Miraoui continues his obstinacy, we will not attend the remedial exams just as we did not for the regular exams, » they warned.
Despite several rounds deemed « failed, » the students feel « confidence and hope » in parliamentary mediation to resolve this crisis. Today’s march was « not a response to this mediation, but to denounce and intensify the fight against Minister Miraoui’s stubbornness, » according to the students. They fear that the minister will persist in his positions regarding the years of training, suspension of some students, dissolution of certain offices and councils, and assigning zero grades. Confidence in mediating institutions remains conditional on the minister’s actions. Towards the end of the impasse?
