Morocco Consumer Groups Call for Stricter School Supply Safety Checks

"School supplies are among the products governed by Law No. 24.09 on the safety of products and services, which defines the safety conditions and requirements to be met for these products," said Bouazza Kharrati, president of the Moroccan Union of Consumer Rights.

The official indicated that a significant number of school supplies sold on the black market and in certain bookstores "are not subject to controls and do not mention the components used in their manufacture." In fact, products such as paints and modeling clays, which "had caused serious school accidents," represent "a major danger" to the health of students, he explained.

The official added that "the rise in prices is pushing many Moroccans to buy cheap products, without worrying about the danger it entails," calling on the competent authorities, the Minister of Commerce and Industry in particular, to strengthen the monitoring of sales outlets for these school supplies.

In the same vein, Abdelkrim Chafai, president of the Regional Federation of Consumer Rights in the Souss-Massa region, cited by Hespress, stated that these low-priced and questionable quality products "pose a danger to the health of students from underprivileged families," adding that children from wealthy families "are generally enrolled in private educational institutions that require parents to purchase quality school supplies."