Power and Struggle for Education in Libya

ABDELBASIT GADOUR

POWER AND STRUGGLE FOR EDUCATION IN LIBYA

An Insider’s Perspective

Q. Tell us a little about who you are. I am Libyan and a member of the academic staff at the Faculty of Education, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya. More recently I have moved from Al-Fateh University in Tripoli (West of Libya) to Omar Al-Mukhtar in Al-Beda (East of Libya) due to family commitments and a personal desire to be close to my beloved hometown Derna. In short I was fortunate to be born in the city of Derna and witness during the sixties and seventies how education inspired and transformed people all through the period of the monarchy as well as during the early stages of the present regime. Derna is a small city situated in north-eastern Libya. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, east of Benghazi. It lies on the eastern ridges of the Jabal al-Akhdar (Green Mountain) in the delta of the small Wadi River. The city of Derna is renowned not only for its old quarter and other nearby attractions, but also for its struggle against the present regime. Like all the eastern cities, Derna has stood firm against the aggression of Gaddafi throughout the last four decades. Now as I am writing this article, Derna along with all the nearby cities—including Al-Beda, Tobrak, Al-marj, and Benghazi—is marching towards freedom and is fighting a battle against the brutality of the present regime. In general people in Derna are generous, courteous and well-mannered. Without hesitation education is the cornerstone of this city and its people. Perhaps it is worth pointing out here that a great number of scholars, teachers, doctors, politicians, judges and university staff from the city of Derna have contributed significantly to the development of the country since Libya gained independence on 24th of December, 1951. In this sense, I am immensely proud of my roots. I grew up with four brothers and three sisters in a traditional and conservative home. My parents were illiterate but never ignorant nor lacking in wisdom. I was influenced greatly by my family and in particular by my eldest sister’s upbringing. From my earliest years my parents strove to instil in me the principles of Islam; respect for the elderly, kindness to the young, diligence in prayer, causing others no harm, treating others as you would want to be treated yourself, cheerfulness because it is considered a blessing to others to smile, as well as its being a blessing to protect others from harm, and never to tell lies or cheat. Q. What have been some of the most formative moments in your own education? I was always reminded by my sister to follow the teachers’ instructions and to listen to them attentively, because teachers are like prophets or messengers from

God on earth. Hence it is very important to do as they say because the respect due them is that due to one’s parents and to God. My sister is a sincere and dedicated person without whom I could never have completed my studies. All along I was influenced by her teaching and I am indebted to her all my life. After my father passed away she had to leave her studies at the University of Benghazi to make sure that our education was not affected. She took a genuine interest in my education and provided me with care, love and emotional support. Nonetheless, I was scrutinized and under extreme pressure. She was hard to please, as meeting the school requirements was not enough for her. She wanted me to exceed the targets set and always to be at the top of ladder. I still remember vividly how many times she would ask me how well I had done after an exam and would worry in case I had missed a question or left one unanswered or, God forbid, that I might have done badly. At the time of school exams she would not sleep, going over and over again all the topics I was supposed to know. In fact, if I am honest, I was more concerned for her that I did well in school than for myself. Afterwards she would not rest until the results of the exams were announced and she could be sure that I had passed successfully. My sister was a perfectionist and this was troubling me, as I myself could not see what she wanted me to be. In fact, she had great expectations of me: she wanted me to become a doctor of medicine, so that I could treat people and save lives. Indeed, during my primary and secondary school years, almost everyone was channelled and shaped by his family to be what they wanted him to be and consequently, I was not different from anyone else. Traditionally the field of medicine has been considered the highest calling and still inspires young and old people alike. Thus, I was encouraged from an early age to follow this path, to give my sister and family a sense of pride by reaching this great goal. It was, therefore, a source of great disappointment that I refused to follow that course, despite the fact that I had achieved the required grades to become a student of medicine. It was a very difficult time for both of us. As for me I did not have the courage to face her and express other interests than what she had wished for me because I knew how much she wanted me to be a doctor. My sister had made great sacrifices for my family and for me in particular and consequently I could not easily ignore them. Therefore I asked a close relative whom she regarded highly to intervene and help me voice my views. Less interested in the pathway that I should follow, I was more concerned to be with my friends and unfortunately none of my close friends wanted to study medicine. I was, in fact, inclined to study French not only because my best friend wanted to be a French teacher but also because I gained the highest mark in French in my high school. Despite the fact that I gained very good grades in high school which allowed me to study at the university, I was very disappointed to learn from the local education authority that I had been chosen randomly by computer to go to the Military College. My family were shocked to hear the news too. I must admit that I was not alone in feeling dejected and hopeless but many other friends had suffered the same fate too. However, although most of my friends had no alternative but to join the Military College, I refused and declared that I was

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