Moroccan Private Schools Face Backlash for Cutting Online Classes Over Unpaid Fees

While some private schools have freely chosen to exempt parents from paying tuition fees for the month of April, other schools in Marrakech have decided to suspend distance learning for students who have not paid their tuition fees. A behavior that has aroused anger and indignation among parents who believe that the heads of these schools "have not taken into account the situation of families who have lost their sources of income due to the spread of the coronavirus".

The families concerned by this decision, not knowing what to do, denounce "the lack of solidarity shown by the heads of these establishments who are nevertheless aware of the crisis the country is going through". The executive office of the Regional League of Parents’ Associations of the Marrakech region condemns "a serious patriotic failure" among some private school officials.

In a statement, they strongly disapprove of this method contrary to the law, which infringes on the legitimate rights of parents by trying to blackmail them in this critical period. They add that "the current exceptional circumstances require all components of society to display unconditional solidarity and sincere patriotism".

The league calls on the supervisory department "to take its responsibilities by opposing such behavior, by guaranteeing the student’s right to learning and by putting an end to the pressures exerted by some heads of these private establishments on the parents".