The Universal Language of Education

President's Corner

LAST FALL, 22 adventurous AASA travelers made their way to Morocco in the heart of North Africa to learn more about diverse educational systems around the world and to inspire cultural understanding in our leadership practices.

The international trip is an annual event and, as the current AASA president, it was my privilege to select this year’s destination. Known as the Land of the Setting Sun, Morocco did not disappoint. Located on the border of Africa and Europe, it is an exotic and compelling country.

The group of wanderlust travelers all learned, shared and laughed together. What especially set this group apart is that it included five strong, brilliant female AASA presidents (current, incoming and past). We symbolized women’s equity as we toured a country that marginalizes women by providing little access to education and limiting career opportunities despite steps to establish parity between the sexes. Culture and tradition run deep.

Our delegation began its journey in Marrakech with a visit to the festival open air market, Djemaa el Fna. We experienced firsthand the market culture, which emulated an aggressive Business 101 class in sales as the merchants were relentless in selling their goods. We breathed in the culture, wandering among the vendors and sampling foods rich in spices at local restaurants.

Morocco is a country of great contrasts. From the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, we traveled through desert oases to our first school visit: Ecole Lhadchat, a tribal elementary school of 110 students crammed into two classrooms (a third classroom needed significant repairs so was not being used). This school has no running water or modern toilets.

The village men and women had been preparing for our visit. Upon our arrival, the village men and some of the children welcomed us on their “red carpet” — a dirt road sprayed with water to prevent the desert dust from blowing in our faces. We shook hands with all the male elders and were given delicious dates and warm milk in beautiful ornamental glasses. The Moroccan women were not included in the welcoming festivities.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was greeting the young girls at the school — a moment that took my breath away. Even though the students could not understand or speak English, as we looked into each other’s eyes there was a remarkable connection because we were all together in that classroom. We shook hands, greeted them in French (they speak Arabic and begin learning French in 3rd grade), sang songs, hugged and laughed together, and commemorated our visit by taking lots of photos.

Despite the communication barrier, the love we felt was a universal language. It was evident by their laughter, smiling faces and eagerness to know us that these beautiful children were filled with joy.

We visited other tribal schools, and each day of this amazing trip afforded us another perspective on how the people of this country live, educate their children, work, socialize and advocate for themselves. We saw the diversity of this country and its people, and our group was all graciously welcomed — including the women in our delegation.

At our farewell dinner at the legendary Rick’s Café in Casablanca, we capped off the evening with toasts to our newfound friends. This was the end of a remarkable journey that has been a life-changing experience for us all.

For more about our experiences, be sure to check out Dan Domenech’s blog.