Abdellah khammar

Entry bell to class

Novel

 

The third trimester: Principal or jailer?

-104- and -105-

The worst thing about Akli's disease is that the assistant principal, Salem Zein, took over the administration at the high school. The Ministry has delegated to him the full powers of the Principal. The first decision announced by the new Principal on Tuesday, April 17, the date of resumption of classes, is to determine the hours of his reception. Monday is reserved for professors outside of working hours and Thursday for parents of students. The second decision was to freeze literary and artistic activities temporarily while awaiting their organization. This signifies the intention to censor them in the future. In the same decision, the activities of scientific excursions and sports competitions were suspended for an indefinite period. The last trimester was generally full of scientific and recreational excursions for the length of its days and the good weather. Students waited impatiently to go to Tipaza, Chréa, Dellys, Tikjda and others every week. They learn more about the history and monuments of their country through the ages, as well as the geography of their region, its topography and its geological composition. The third and not the last decision is the standardization of the texts studied and printed in each subject and the unification of the texts of the exams in the classes under the pretext of coordination between professors. Coordination generally consists of an agreement on the criteria for selecting texts and their objectives. The coordination according to the assistant principal has a different meaning: unique text, unique thought and unique training to facilitate censorship.

The assistant principal took over the principal's office. We have not seen him, but we receive his decisions, which always end, in Arabic or French, with the following sentence: "Any violation of this decision exposes the author to legal responsibilities". The sad atmosphere prevailed in the school, which was slowly transformed into a terrible prison for professors and students. They felt with Akli that the school belonged to all; it became the private property of the assistant principal. He manages it as he wished without their participation. The entrepreneurs supplying the school with food products were changed after the assistant principal and Makadri replaced Akli and Laroussi on the school’s council management. The integrity of Makadri is beyond doubt, but he signs the budget without knowing what it is. Students' meals in restaurants have decreased in quantity and quality. The assistant principal no longer goes to the restaurant, but the restaurant goes to his home. Cooks are seen carrying pots of meat, food and fruit daily to his apartment.

I remembered Akli and suddenly thought of what he had already said to me about Salem Zein, "The assistant principal considered himself more worthy of direction than me because I do not speak Arabic well. He also thought that he is more qualified than the Arabic executives who do not speak French because he is bilingual". However, he is bilingual, theoretically yes but practically no. He is not imbued with the values ​​of Arab-Islamic civilization like Laroussi. He retains nothing from the Koran or Hadith, and does not know the doctrines of Sunni and Shiite jurisprudence and philosophers of Islam in the Mashreq, the Maghreb and Andalusia, their views and their work. He has not studied Arab-Islamic history. He retains nothing of Arabic poetry, proverbs and maxims except some of the verses of Al-Mutanabbi, Al Maari, Chawqi and Abu Madi that he was forced to memorize when he was in school. He cites them in a misplaced way to indicate his knowledge in the literature.

He is not imbued with the values ​​of Western civilization like Akli. He knows little about Greek mythology and the resulting literature and epic plays, as well as about Greek philosophers and their schools. He learned nothing from the Old and New Testaments in the Bible. He knows little about Renaissance thinkers, the French revolution, the philosophical schools that influenced the trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the development of literary and artistic schools. He does not know proverbs and maxims except what common people quote in their conversations, and all he knows of French literature are some of the texts he kept in his mind of the poets Victor Hugo and Lamartine. Language is a civilization and the assistant principal has not assimilated the great values ​​of one or the other civilization".

I said to myself, "Common people do not know the components of our civilization, but they are imbued with its values ​​by the oral and hereditary transmission path which were not absorbed by the assistant principal. He has his own values that he believes, and they exist in all civilizations and in all times. These are the values of climbing up and seizing opportunities and exchanging interests. These are the values of those who put their personal interest first. They do not know how to build, but who had better use what others have built. These are the values of opportunists everywhere and at all times”.

Akli's condition improved and he left the hospital for treatment at home. The professors visited him successively and no one told him about the censor's behaviour, for fear of his relapse. I continued to visit him with Wajdi and spend time with him to entertain him. Issam sometimes accompanied us, and Nouara is delighted with our visit because her father feels happy with us and anticipates our visit. Days passed slowly in high school although the third trimester was relatively short. Therefore, we thought this year would not end and that the summer vacation would never come.

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The weather is beautiful in spring and the school garden is decorated with all kinds of flowers and roses whose scent and fresh aroma reach the classroom through open windows. Nevertheless, its impact on the soul was not great, the contrast was glaring between the joy of nature, its momentum, and the clouds of sadness and worry that reign in high school. There is no hope for a literary or artistic activity, nor for a celebration or an excursion that stimulates the soul and recharges it with joy and hope.

Two unique beings answered the call of spring and its invitation to life and love. We see them together, and it pleases the hearts of those who love them and draws the smiles on their faces and at the same time arouses jealousy and envy in the hearts of others. Of course, they are Faiza and Wajdi. The ferocious cat ready to scratch out of fear everything that came close to her, became a self-assured social gentlewoman in her relationships with men. Faiza undoubtedly made a great effort to overcome her fear. Also thanks to the one who supported her with great patience and endured her ferocity to heal her. He realized that she had a good heart and he loved her. This love was first exchanged against her will, then for satisfaction and conscience, then deliberately and with determination. She found in him the man she had dreamed of since childhood and received from him a better understanding, care, safety and affection.

Wajdi told me that he will ask for Faiza's hand forty days after the death of my uncle and he hopes that Akli will recover to attend the engagement. I was glad to hear the news and asked, "Have you decided where you are going to live?"

"We have seriously discussed the issue and she is ready to live with me in Egypt and I am ready to live with her in Algeria. She let me make the decision by saying verbatim, "You are my man and I trust you, and I will accompany you to the end of the world. It is important to be together”.

Faiza and Wajdi were engaged in her family’s house in the Kasbah district Forty days after Laroussi's death. The house consists of two floors open to nature. Embraced in its construction model the styles of Arab, Berber and Turkish architecture. In the middle of its square courtyard is a basin and a fountain from which water gushes and then flows into the basin, forming foam and creating a melodious sound, and scattered around it a few soft drizzle. The courtyard is surrounded by spacious rooms with multiple glass windows that allow sunlight to reach every corner of the house. A lemon tree and shrubs of roses, jasmine and Arabian jasmine are planted on the sides of the courtyard.

The cries of joy from the women emitted from below and their specific songs of the capital for the wedding crept into the room where we found on the upper floor. During the break, the tape recorder sound started with the songs of El-Haouzi by Fadila El-DJazairia, Mariem Fekkai and Salwa. As for us, we heard one of Sheikh El-Anka's students with his melodious voice and his Sanitra instrument play some of his teacher's songs, then we heard a song by Mohammed Baji.

 Wajdi held on to the presence of Akli, who came leaning on his stick. He also invited my aunt and my cousin Amina to whom I visit them almost every week. Issam and Faiza's brother, and his paternal and maternal uncles and some local notables were present. Faiza's father put his hand in the hand of Wajdi, who was wearing a spring brown suit and a yellow tie dotted with brown and black. We read Al-Fatiha. Issam and I signed as witnesses to the marriage certificate, and the marriage ceremony would take place in summer. Lunch was according to customs, "soup, couscous, tagine of meat with prunes and fruit". Coffee, green tea and Hammoud Boualem drinks were distributed. Discussions focused on the intimate relations between Egypt and Algeria since the time of the pharaohs and the kingdom of the Berbers. Then on the establishment of the Fatimid state in Egypt and the construction of Cairo, and the influence of the Egyptian Renaissance pioneers on the Association of Ulema in Algeria and its call for reform, then Egypt's support for the Algerian revolution on the financial, moral, media and artistic levels.

The flourishing faces expressed sincere affection in hearts for this suitor from Cairo seeking kinship ties by marriage with the sons of the Kasbah. Thus, during this meeting, the Maghreb embraced the Mashreq with spontaneity and serenity, without being disturbed by the politics of unstable governments or the tendencies of the parties. Faiza entered and sat with us next to Wajdi after the guests had left. She was wearing a green Karakou. The bride appeared in the most beautiful ornament, her braids wrapped in a pyramidal hairstyle that goes with the roundness of her face. The Natural Kohl mixed with the artificial Kohl showed the width of her eyes and their charm. The bride and groom looked very happy, and this was reflected in their bright faces.

-107-

Learning the language in communities has nothing to do with love and hate: a child learns it through the need to express himself and communicate with others. Many of our ancestors were illiterate. They learned the language by hearing it. They orally transmitted poetry, maxims, proverbs and tales from father to son. However, when language becomes a subject for learning at school, it becomes like other subjects for the pupil either he likes it or he hates it because of many factors, the most important of which is the teacher and his teaching method. I realized this during the second year of teaching. I found that many of those who study with Professor Makadri hate the Arabic language and I remembered Nouara and many of her fellows. Recalling my childhood memories, I was passionate about the Arabic language and loved it in my uncle's library with the stories of Kamil Al Kilani, Sinbad magazine and the novels of Georgi Zidane and others. I've been reading and writing since then. I remembered many friends who hated the Arabic language, who were amazed by my love for this subject and that I excelled in it. They didn't have a library like my uncle's in Arabic. Their teachers dictated the language to them like Makadri. However, some of them had a library like my uncle’s library, but in French provided by their families at home or their teachers at school. They were addicted to reading and became excellent. Some French and English students hate the subject of language at school because of their teachers. This does not mean that they hate their language. Consequently, the love of all linguistic subjects returns to the teacher and his teaching method, as well as to the library where the student learns the taste for reading until it becomes a habit and behaviour accompanied by him throughout his life.

Patriotism therefore has nothing to do with the student's love or hatred for the Arabic language. It is a mistake of education to accuse, those who love the French language and prefer to express themselves with, of the lack of patriotism. Therefore, I had to work with other teachers to develop methods of teaching Arabic so that the students would like it and get used to reading it. The task is easy in primary and difficult in the middle and very difficult in high school. What makes our task more difficult is the fact that we disproportionately compete with French and English teachers because of their modern means and supportive institutions.

I started this year to encourage my students to visit the library and try to link them to it through the task assigned to them. I also started to take a priority interest in written expression thanks to the influence of teaching methods in foreign languages. I realized that you can’t teach writing because it is a question of style. The teacher's task is to teach the student writing techniques and when the student is used to writing, he discovers his own style.

Wishing to link literature to art, poetry to song, the novel to theatre and cinema, I urged the students to visit the national theatre when it performs one of the Algerian and international plays. I wanted to inform them about good Algerian, Arab and international films because I realized that the novelist, the director of radio, theatre, cinema, the poet, the songwriter and the composer are trained in school. Expressive reading interested me a lot: in the future, all these people will need it, as well as their audience.

I could not coordinate with Makadri to implement the assistant principal's decision because he focuses on buzzing texts, full of assonance and synonymy, and on preaching speeches. Makadri does not consider as literature the descriptive texts developing tastes and senses, reinforcing the student's observation and his interest in the aesthetics of buildings, mosques, palaces, monuments and picturesque nature. He classified them in the concrete world and its elements which are the forms, the colours, the sounds, the flavours and the smells are not worthy of the world of the abstract and do not deserve to be studied as literature.

Makadri was not willing to exchange or concede; he is obstinate and relentless and does not meet you in the middle. I coordinated with other professors whose dialogue leads to a fruitful result for all of us.

-108-

 The atmosphere at the English school is not as heavy as that of the high school, but for me, it remained dark in the absence of Janine. I miss her anytime and anywhere, especially in the place where can I always find her. If I hadn't spent so much time with Nouara in Arabic lessons and in Akli’s visit, I couldn't be patient. I do not say that in the sense that another woman compensates the absence of a woman. In love, no one can replace another. Nouara knows this and does not want to replace anyone, but she hopes that I will be cured of Janine to love her. She is in no rush and is aware that I need time to heal and recovery so that my heart is completely free. However, I had the feeling that she already considered that I belonged to her, that she had control of me, and that no other could approach me. She said frankly to me in a joking tone, "I will not let another Janine disturb your life anymore". I am comfortable with her and I imagine that my future will be with her.

 -109-

The school year ends soon and the exams started in June. I could not coordinate with Makadri in the choice of exam texts. He was not used to asking precise and defined questions and developing a scale before the correction. He usually writes several poetry verses on the board and asks students to explain and analyse them grammatically. When I showed him a model of questions in French, including the comprehension of the text, the reasoning, giving an opinion, the syntax and the expression, he said to me in a reproving tone, "What is valid for the French is not valid for Arabic. We are not imitators”. In the written expression, he dictates to the students two verses of poetry and asks them to write a subject. If a student asks, "Can we object to the opinion of the poet, professor?"

He scolds him and makes fun of him saying, "You want to oppose the poet's opinion! Who are you? Taha Hussein or Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akkad?

While observing the exam, Issam discovered a student with complete answers in physics, which is strange, that the student is the nephew of the assistant principal. He informed the assistant principal and deduced from his indifference that he had disclosed the questions to his nephew. He asked me bitterly, "What am I doing?"

- "Put a zero to the student"

- "But it must be referred to the disciplinary council".

- "His uncle who must be disciplined."

In the end, he put a zero for him, but in other subjects, he got high marks and succeeded with excellent average. Therefore, the exams turned into a farce.

This year, students have been deprived of the end-of-year party, scientific and recreational excursions and school sports competitions, and wall magazines have been frozen. The new principal does not realize that the activities are part of the educational process, but the most important part. Through their activities, students express themselves freely, show their literary, artistic and sporting talents, apply some of what they have learned and attach it to their time, while having fun. These activities allow them to take courses in closed rooms throughout the year and to develop a spirit of constructive competition in the field of creation and innovation. In the absence of a true teachers' union, the principal's role becomes effective and essential in management.

 The closing ceremony for the year was cold and limited to the distribution of the prizes and some parents attended. The assistant principal delivered a short written speech in which he thanked the professors, and then distributed prizes while drinking tea. The assistant principal's nephew was honoured. Some professors congratulated him, applauded, and encouraged him hypocritically, knowing that he had succeeded by cheating. I remembered the party last year and compared the assistant principal with Akli who respected science, conducted honest exams and distributed prizes to those who deserved them. The standards were healthy and now they are falsified and, when lies reach science, the future of society as a whole is in danger. School is hope, the guardian of values, and if people lose their confidence in it, all values ​​collapse and fall into disuse.