Morocco’s Teachers Face Uncertainty as School Year Approaches Amid Hybrid Learning Challenges

"The situation is unclear. There are many outstanding questions at the moment. Can the public sector ensure quality distance education? What about the private sector as well?" confides to Challenge.ma Adil El Mahdi, secretary general of the Moroccan Association of French Teachers (AMEF), and also deputy director of the Higher School of Education and Training in Agadir. According to him, the vagueness is greater in preschool.

"In Agadir here, many families, explains Mr. El Mahdi, have preferred to change schools for their children, given the current situation. Indeed, some families have chosen to withdraw their children from private schools to enroll them in public schools, for the simple reason that they believe that in the event of a new lockdown, teaching will be done remotely, and that it is useless to pay a high price for a school when it is the parents who get involved in this case. It’s cheaper for parents."

According to the official, there is a problem in terms of computer equipment for distance learning in case Morocco has to face a new lockdown. "We are also asked to make video recordings of lessons according to standards that exceed us," he continues. He said the ministry has an ongoing project to equip teachers with the necessary equipment, at least at the level of establishments in major cities. According to Mr. El Mahdi, the big challenge today is to succeed in training teachers in distance education, because teachers were not prepared for such a situation.

"I think it is necessary to implement a national training program in this direction. In any case, if the health situation deteriorates, this will pose a serious problem in the distance learning system. But I remain confident that the 2020-2021 school year will be a success," concludes Adil El Mahdi.