Morocco’s Private Schools Spark Outrage with Sudden Fee Hikes Amid Economic Strain

Parents were greatly surprised to learn and observe the sudden and unjustified increase in school fees in private schools. Some schools in Rabat and Casablanca have increased their fees by 10 to 20% without even informing the parent associations or providing any explanation, reports Al Akhbar. Dissatisfied, the parents denounce an exploitation of their legitimate desire to provide a good education for their children. The affected families deplore the particularly ill-timed timing, as Morocco has been experiencing a wave of inflation in recent years. Added to this is the growing precariousness of the middle class.

According to some sources, the establishments justify this increase in school fees by the increase in operating costs, staff salaries and educational materials, accentuated by the frequent changes in school curricula. Insufficient to convince the parents. They believe that the lack of a clear legal framework governing the contractual relationship between schools and parents leaves room for unilateral decisions that unbalance their budget. According to voices from the education and human rights community, this deregulation is not without social consequences. "It maintains a silent discrimination between students, reinforcing socio-economic divides within the education system," they point out.