Tan-Tan – Former Moroccan Justice Minister El Mostapha Ramid has condemned hazing practices at higher education institutions, describing them as illegal and degrading and calling on university officials to take action against those responsible.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Ramid denounced what he described as “barbaric, humiliating, and illegal” practices targeting new students at the beginning of each academic year.
Ramid said some second-year students subject newcomers to physical and psychological abuse under the pretext of helping them integrate into student life.
He cited practices including forcing students to imitate animals, use obscene language, remove their clothes, wear women’s clothing, and go without sleep. Other alleged practices involve making students walk on their knees for extended periods until they bleed and perform physical movements beyond their capabilities.
The former minister described the treatment as “sadistic” and said it undermines students’ dignity rather than preparing them for university life.
“Higher education institutions should be spaces for learning and personal development, not places of torture,” he argued.
Ramid warned that such experiences can cause psychological harm and discourage students from continuing their studies. He called on officials at institutions where hazing occurs to intervene without hesitation and ensure those responsible face appropriate sanctions.
“These practices are barbaric and wholly unacceptable in Morocco today,” he said, stressing the need to protect students’ physical integrity and dignity.
Mines Rabat controversy
Ramid’s statement comes amid renewed scrutiny of hazing at Morocco’s National School of Mines in Rabat, known as Mines Rabat or ENSMR.
First-year students at the engineering school had raised concerns about alleged initiation practices that they said crossed the line between student integration and humiliation.
According to a complaint reportedly submitted to the school administration and the authority overseeing the institution, the activities can last around 15 days and allegedly involve sleep deprivation, pressure to remove clothing or remain in sleepwear, offensive language, humiliating physical positions, and forced head-shaving for male students.
The students also alleged that refusing to participate could lead to social pressure or exclusion from extracurricular activities and group settings.
The allegations have prompted debate over bizutage, a term commonly used for initiation rituals imposed on newcomers by older students. While some defended the tradition as a way to build solidarity and help new students integrate, critics argue that coercion and degrading treatment have no place in educational institutions.
The controversy has also resurfaced a debate over previous hazing allegations at Mines Rabat, including a dispute in 2019 that the school administration and student representatives said was unrelated to initiation activities.
