Causes of School Truancy

 Truancy is the act of deliberately missing one or more classes. This phenomenon has numerous reasons. First, socio-economic problems cause students to miss classes. That is to say, when parents cannot afford to buy school materials or pay school fees, students will certainly ditch classes. Also, some students may skip classes because of school phobia or fear. This means that when students find it difficult to get along with teachers, students and school staff they are bound to be absent from school. Besides, bad grades affect students negatively and impact their attitude towards school. So, they sluff school when they find themselves lagging behind their classmates. In addition, bad company may lead to school truancy. To put it differently, bad friends do not encourage students to take their studies seriously. On the contrary, they teach them how to drink, smoke, prostitute and so on. As the proverb says, “birds of a feather go together”. Finally yet importantly, bullying can lead to truancy. Bullies may use force, threats, and intimidation to hurt, scare and overpower vulnerable students and thus make them stop going to school. Therefore, it is parents’, teachers’, and school administrators’ responsibility to work together to minimize the rate of school truancy.   

Country Life vs City Life

 

Many people say that “God first made the country and then, the city” to promote the beauty of the country over the ugliness of the city. However, both city life and country life have advantages and disadvantages.

On the one hand, the countryside is superior to towns in many respects. It has many charms and benefits like peace and quiet, fresh air, colorful and fascinating sights, vast meadows and lovely landscapes, simple life, interdependence between People who work together and look out for one another, and so on. But, on the negative side, the country usually lacks adequate infrastructures like road networks public transport, modern health care, shops and coffee shops etc.

on the other hand, city life provides many services and facilities that country life doesn’t. Hospitals, malls, amusement and recreational establishments, better schools, colleges and other educational institutions, numerous jobs or career opportunities etc., are some of the facilities that are found only in towns and cities. However, city life has its negative points. These are deficiencies include expensive cost of living, pollution from cars and trucks and factories, dirty and noisy roads, the lack of fresh air and good diet to mention only a few.

On the whole, both the city and the country are equally important with their disadvantages and benefits as the facilities of one are the drawbacks of the other and vice-versa. So, the choice to live in town or country can be made depending on one’s character, personality and profession.

 

 N.B.

The Person I Like Most!

 

The person I like most is my mother. First, my mother loves me a lot and  am her life. She loves as much as she loves my brother and my sister. Second, my mother buys me a lot of things: clothes, gifts, cakes and more. Third, my mother is the one who helps me most when I need  help, and supports me when I need support. Last but not least, my mother always encourages me to be the best and never criticises me when I get a bad grade at school. My mother is my life.

The Social and Economic Effects of Covid on Morocco.

 

COVID-19 pandemic has had profound social and economic effects on Morocco. Here are some of the key problems that the country has faced:

COVID-19 led to widespread lockdowns and restrictions on economic activity. Industries such as travel, and hospitality were hard-hit. Many businesses faced closures, layoffs, and financial losses.

Also, the pandemic caused a significant rise in job losses as businesses struggled to stay afloat. Many individuals lost their livelihoods, leading to increased financial insecurity and income inequality.

Besides, the rapid spread of COVID-19 strained the healthcare system. Hospitals and healthcare facilities faced overwhelming demands. Patients also experienced difficulties accessing regular healthcare services.

In addition, school closures disrupted the education system in Morocco. Many students faced challenges adapting to online learning. The disruption had long-term implications for students' learning outcomes and educational inequality.

It's important to note that these problems have impacted the social and economic life of Moroccan people and caused drastic changes in all areas of life.

How to Make Our School Beautiful!

There are many things we can do to make our school beautiful and clean. First, we should organize regular clean-up days. That is to say, we should encourage students, teachers, and staff to participate in clean-up days where everyone comes together to clean up the school premises. Also, the school should encourage artwork and murals: Students and teachers should contribute artwork or murals to the school's walls to add color and vibrancy to the environment while showcasing students' talents. Besides, teachers and students should plant trees and gardens at schools to help beautify the school. Last but not least, the school should conduct regular sessions or workshops on cleanliness, hygiene, and waste management. These are some tips to make our school beautiful and clean.

Traveling is Beneficial to Young People (Noureddine Boutahar)

   Traveling is beneficial, especially to young people, in many ways. It has a lot of physical, mental, cultural, and educational benefits.

                First, traveling makes young people mentally and physically healthy. Researchers say that travel gives people huge mental health bonuses and positive mental effects. It promotes happiness and helps them take their mind off stressful situations and forget about their daily troubles.

                Also, traveling helps young people grow up and mature. It increases global awareness, improves communication and language skills, and increases maturity, confidence, and independent.

                Besides, traveling makes young people more tolerant. It can make young people more mindful of other people’s culture and values.  It can help young people meet new people and mingle with them. It also promotes cultural understanding and respect for other values, culture, beliefs, religions…

                To sum up, travel helps young people step outside of their comfort zone. As Saint Augustine said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

My Strory

Three years ago, when I was 14, my family moved here from a small village east of Khemisset. I had lived all my life with my parents and sisters in that peaceful and quiet village. My parents said it was important for my future and that of my sisters.

A few days after we had settled in Khemisset things began to change. In addition to a different new house, different people, and different school, there was a totally different father. My dad has completely changed. He has changed for the worse. He has become tense and aggressive at times towards me of all my other sisters.

His behavior confuses and hurts me. He tells me off all the time for the things he ignored before. He has become a nagging father, and very critical of whatever small and childish –typical of a child- thing I do. He complains about me all the time, and every small mistake I make is met with criticism instead of advice as before.

I know neither the reason nor the cure, but he often tells Mom that it is for my own good and that I am not a child anymore. He usually adds that it’s high time I behaved like a grown up and started to think about the future.

I am lying if I said I am not sad. However, I need to be stoical about it and keep a clear mind to face the baccalaureate exam. It is my passport to the future.

By L. C.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Boarding School

A boarding school is a school which provides living accommodation –meals and lodging- for some or all of its students. However, a Moroccan boarding school has its pros and cons.
On the one hand, a boarding school can be a great place to meet new people and make new close friends. Also, it is a great solution for people who cannot afford to rent a suitable home in big cities for their kids. Besides, living in a boarding school teaches discipline, adaptation, and academic excellence as well as the values of social adjustment, leadership, initiative, and sharing. In addition, student can learn to be independent and gain a sense of autonomy, which will help them in the long run. Last but not least, a boarding school provides students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of extra-curricular activities that they may otherwise miss out on.
On the other hand, the life of a boarder is a bit too regimented: meals, rising, and going to bed at specific hours. Also, some boarders feel homesick, lonely, and unhappy about being away from parents and loved ones. Besides, a boarding school may be a place to pick up a bad habit like smoking, drugs and other practices if the boarder gets into bad company. Ultimately, a boarding school is sometimes a breeding ground for students’ inappropriate behavior like bullying, petty theft, fighting and the like.
All in all, a boarding school has great facilities for boarders. So students should keep a positive attitude towards it and try to get the maximum benefit possible.

By M.O.

Is TV Good or Bad?

TV has become part of our everyday life. It is an indispensable living room accessory which has many advantages and disadvantages.

One point in favor of TV is that it is informative. People may get a wealth of information from documentaries and similar other programs as well as world news and events sitting on a coach at home. Advertisement , also, provides TV viewers with information and news about new products and innovations. Besides, TV is entertaining and fills in time. It provides its viewers with a wide range of game shows, comedy shows, movies, songs, sports events and so on to amuse, relax, and excite. In addition, TV is educational and helps widen people's knowledge. People can learn languages, history and geography of the world from some TV channels. Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, for example, are a window into other cultures and into the life of other creatures.

On the other hand, TV has many disadvantages. To begin with, TV can steal people's time. Imagine kids who watch TV four hours a day: these children do a minimum of homework, read less and do not concentrate. Also, TV makes people lazy as it is extremely addictive. TV addicts play less sport and are reluctant to do house chores or help around the house. These coach potatoes are unlikely to develop social skills or learn good manners. Last but not least, TV exposes people, especially kids, to negative influences. These influences include violence, alcohol, drug abuse and pornography.

To conclude, TV is not good or bad; it's all about how we use it. To get the best of it, we need to budget our time and choose what to watch as well as monitor children's TV experience and set viewing limits for them.

BY N.L.

The Benefits of Humor

The pace and demands of modern life has made us stressed out, unhappy, impatient and frustrated; hence the importance of humor in our lives. Homor has both health and social benefits whose aggregate make up a happy life.

The health benefits of humor are numerous. Scientists have found that humor boosts the immune system and improves resistance to diseases. It, also, protects people's hearts because laughter increases blood flow and, thus, improves the function of blood vessels. In addition, humor decreases tension, relaxes muscles, lowers stress and helps release pent-up feelings.

As for the social benefits of humor, they are so evident and obvious. First, humor helps us make friends easily, unites us and reduces our hostility. As Victor Borge said, “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” Jokey people are magnets with many friends and never feel lonely. Also, Humor helps us succeed in life. Cheerful people look at life with a positive eye, "play" with problems and know how to talk to people. In Henry Ward Beecher's words, "A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs--jolted by every pebble in the road."

To sum up, humor is an antidote to stress and conflicts. So one needs to create and find opportunities to laugh. These include watching comedy films, playing with kids and pets, reading funny pages and websites, seeking out funny people and avoiding sour ones.

By S.O.

Is Technology Good or Bad?

Technology is an important part of our life. It gives us knowledge, saves labor, and entertains us. However, there are some negative aspects about technology. It can ruin people's lives and health in different ways.

On the one hand, technology has benefited us in many ways. First, it has facilitated communication because it has turned the world into a global village. Also, technology has improved our lives a lot. Vacuum cleaners, washing machines, computers etc all save us time, money and resources and do complex tasks. In addition, technology helps improve education. Students can access more information and a lot easier than before. Today, with the Internet, the sky is the limit for accessing all kinds of information and broaden our knowledge.

On the other hand, technology has a dark side too. It creates unemployent because machines take the place of people and a small tool can do the work of many workers. Also, technology can create addiction. This dependency on the machine can make people lose many social skills, as is the case with computers, as well as cause or worsen diseases. Moreover, machines create a digital divide between the North and South and within the same society. So, many people are left out and behind.

In a nutshell, technology is both good and bad like anything else in life. It all depends on the intention of the user who should approach it in a more rational way.

By M.E.

Should Women Go out to Work

The question of whether women should go out to work or not is still being asked by many people today. This indicates that the question has not been answered. For me, women should be allowed to go out to work for many social, economic, and moral reasons unless they themselves decide not to.

First, women should work because the cost of living is very high. For many families, one source of income is not enough, and they need a second pay check to make ends meet.

Also, a non-working woman is usually vulnerable and disadvantaged. She may face serious financial problems in case the husband dies or falls sick or divorces her. One breadwinner at home is a game one should not trust.

Besides, granting women the right to work is a moral imperative. Women should enjoy the right to work, make money and provide for food, shelter and for her own personal items instead of begging the husband all the time.

Moreover, women are better than men at some jobs. Women make better nurses and teachers etc. Also, some cultures and religions prefer females in some jobs. For example most Muslim women patients prefer to be examined by a female physician and feel embarrassed in the presence of men doctors.

All things considered, to work or not to work is a decision that only the spouses should reach themselves based on their religious preferences, social class, and economic position.


By S. O.

A Trip to the Mountains*

Not long ago, my friends and I decided to go on picnic to Ifrane, a small Moroccan resort town in the Middle Atlas Mountains. There were eight of us and we rented a van.

We met early in the morning on a cold Sunday at the agreed place – the Khémisset taxi stand – where the van owner had been checking the engine oil and water levels. It was very cold but no one dared complain. As we waited for the van to warm up, we walked around to warm ourselves and keep our feet from freezing.

When the driver asked us to get in, everyone rushed to the door, bumping into each other as we went. Each person urged the others to hurry.

It was much warmer inside the van. There was a rap song playing on the radio, and we tapped our feet to it to keep ourselves warm. Soon, the cold began to ebb and the sun peeked out from behind the lofty Atlas Mountains miles away.

When we arrived to Dayet Aoua, almost 12 miles from Ifrane, there were still clouds in the sky and the sun was playing peek-a-boo behind them. It was scary how calm the place was. There was no soul in sight and you could hear nothing except for the chirping of birds and splashing of fish in the water. The scenery, as well, was breathtaking: majestic snow-bonneted mountains and tall canopy trees that reflected in the water. The soft green grass all around the lake made us want to roll around.

The first thing we did was put up the tent near an umbrella-like oak tree. We, then, collected fallen dry sticks and twigs and built a fire to make tea and coffee for breakfast and warm ourselves.

By the time we finished breakfast, the sun had broken the clouds but it was still cold in the shade of the trees. So, we decided to play soccer while we waited for the lake water to warm up.

After swimming and playing in the water for almost an hour, we all felt extremely hungry. Everyone began doing their share to cook a Moroccan Tajine. It was surprisingly delicious considering not one of us had ever cooked Tajine before. As I look back, I realize that it was because of the proverbial sauce.

After lunch, I had my usual siesta while the others read, played cards, and listened to music. They also took photos of me asleep with my mouth wide open. I still have one as my cell phone screen saver.

Just as we were teasing each other, fighting, and laughing at the jokes we had played on one another, we felt the sun lose its strength. I looked up and saw thick black clouds gather in the sky above. We quickly broke down the tent, packed up our belongings, and set off towards the town of Ifrane before a torrential rainstorm hit us.

It was already cold, windy, and totally cloudy when we got to Ifrane. The first heavy drops of rain began falling on our heads like acorns. Still, everyone adamantly insisted on taking photos with the famous stone lion there. People usually pose with the ‘lion’ as evidence that they have been to Ifrane.

The rain was so heavy and fast that the windshield wipers couldn’t keep up with it. The driver waited for the rain to stop or subside because it was dangerously strong. However, it was so frighteningly beautiful.

The streets were eerily empty when the rain stopped and you could hear nothing but the sound of water gushing down the road. The sound of our van broke the town silence and startled the birds which had taken shelter in their usual roost trees.

We spent most of the trip back home with our cell phones and iPods in our ears.
Those who had their headphones around their necks were daydreaming and fantasizing.

“My backpack!” The words came from the back of the van like a rifle shot in a calm country night. With these words came the picture of Hassan’s backpack hanging from an oak tree a few steps from the lake. There was a moment of dead silence before complaints and accusations began to fly.

After much thought and discussion, the driver agreed to take Hassan back to the lake early the following day.


*Noureddine Boutahar (teacher)