A group of first-year students at the National School of Mines of Rabat, known as Mines Rabat or ENSMR, have reportedly complained about hazing practices they say have crossed into humiliation and intimidation. The students described a series of practices allegedly carried out by older students during the first weeks of the academic year. These activities can continue for around 15 days and involve both group and individual practices.
According to the complaint, some first-year students are repeatedly deprived of sleep and rest, while others are pressured to remove their clothes or remain in sleepwear. The complaint also alleges that students are forced to use offensive language and perform humiliating positions, including what the students called the “Position Minotte,” in which participants place their faces on tables, lower their heads, and put their hands behind their backs.
Other alleged practices include eating with their hands while sitting on the floor, performing movements described as the “duck walk” and “caterpillar,” and collectively shaving the heads of male students. The students further claimed that refusing to participate can lead to social pressure or exclusion from some extracurricular activities and group settings. They alleged that some of the activities are organized with the involvement of members of the school’s student association.
The complaint also mentions an alleged incident in which a copy of the school’s internal regulations was burned in front of first-year students. The controversy has produced a divided online reaction, with some commenters strongly condemning the reported practices and calling for their abolition. Others have defended hazing as a long-standing part of student life and argued that the current controversy has exaggerated what happens at Mines Rabat.
Several commenters identifying themselves as ENSM students or graduates wrote that hazing was mainly about “fun and entertainment” and said graduates continued to remember the experience positively. Other commenters described the tradition as a way of building social relationships between students. The debate has sparked a renewed discussion on the limits of initiation practices and the impact on students.
This is not the first time Mines Rabat has faced controversy over hazing practices. In 2019, the school faced another major hazing controversy after videos circulated showing a confrontation involving female students. The school administration and student representatives rejected the account that the confrontation was related to hazing, saying it happened outside the school.
The students who filed the complaint said they are not objecting simply to the existence of activities intended to bring new and older students together. Their argument is that certain practices have crossed the line between integration and humiliation. The school administration has not made an official statement on the allegations, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.
Key points
- Students at Morocco's National School of Mines in Rabat have complained about hazing practices they say have gone beyond student integration activities and begun to affect their dignity, rest, and safety.
