Moroccan Student Denied Entry to French School in Rabat Over Hijab

The incident caused an uproar among the student’s family, but also among the parents of students at the establishment.

The case is all the more surprising since the young girl was enrolled in a school of the French mission in the United Arab Emirates. It was only after her move to Morocco with her family that her registration at the Léon l’Africain high school was refused, not for academic reasons, but because of her alleged religious practice.

Faced with this situation, the student’s family decided to file a complaint.

This is not the first time that a veiled student has been refused in a French school. At the start of the 2023 school year, several students from the Lycée Descartes, also in Rabat, had not been able to enroll because of their veil. The decision of the establishment followed a circular from the then French Minister of Education, Gabriel Attal.