Morocco to Implement Sex Education in Schools Following Islamic Child Rights Pact

The introduction of sex education in school curricula has long been relegated to the background by the public authorities.

This Pact of the Rights of the Child in Islam was signed during the 32nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (currently the Organization of Islamic Cooperation), held from June 28 to 30, 2005 in Sanaa.

This commitment by Morocco requires it to introduce sex education in primary and secondary school curricula.

Indeed, the Pact in question provides, in its Article 12, that every child approaching puberty has the right to access healthy sex education allowing him to distinguish the lawful from the unlawful according to the vision of Islam.

Partly inspired by the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this Pact grants children the right to free access to an education that brings out the values of religion and allows them to develop their knowledge and skills.

Abdelali Rami, President of the Forum of Associations for Childhood, quoted by Al Akhbar, believes that the introduction of a subject on sex education in school curricula can only be positive. According to him, it is imperative to respect the pedagogical and moral rules, as well as the social specificities of Morocco in this regard.

However, he admits that the Kingdom is lagging behind in this area, especially in the current context where the availability of new technologies and openness to the world present risks for children who do not have a good sex education.