Morocco Parents Favor Delayed School Start Amid COVID-19 Concerns, Survey Shows

The survey was conducted from August 13 to 20, 2020. 7,448 parents of students out of more than 51,000 invited to express their preference for the 2020/2021 school year participated. On August 6, the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research had announced that the 2020-2021 school year will begin on September 7 for preschool and the three cycles of education.

At the parent level, opinions are divided. They had to choose one of the five following possibilities: A postponement of the school start to January 4, 2021; a school start in September next year in person; a school start in September alternating between face-to-face and distance learning; a blank year or a postponement of the school start to October 2020.

76.84% of the parents who participated in the vote, i.e. 5,717 parents, are in favor of postponing the return to school to January 4, 2021, the Union said on the Facebook group.

A proportion of 13.45% of parents, exactly 1,001 student parents, expressed their preference for a September return with the adoption of face-to-face classes.

The parents preferring the alternation between face-to-face and distance learning courses, starting in September, number 565, or 7.59% of the parents who participated in the survey.

104 of the parents (1.40%) voted for a blank year; 57 of them (0.71%) chose to postpone admission to school until October 2020.