Nursery Closures in Casablanca and Rabat Spark Outcry from Parents and Directors

Several nursery directors, through open letters to the authorities at the national level, have expressed their sorrow at what they call an "unjustified" closure.

This decision does not only concern the nurseries in the prefecture of Casablanca which, in view of the resurgence of Covid-19 raging there, is evolving in distance learning. Hay Riad and Rabat are also on the list, despite the health protocol for the reopening of public and private nurseries and kindergartens from September 8.

"We were forced to close while several leisure centers remain open and welcome several children every day, under conditions that are not controlled by any specifications (...) None of this happens in our nurseries, and yet, before even giving us time to prove it, we are being asked to close," the director of a nursery in Casablanca indignantly posted on her Facebook page.

For the record, the supervisory ministry made public on September 1 the health protocol for the reopening of public and private nurseries and kindergartens from September 8.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mask wearing should not be mandatory for children aged 5 and under. "This indication is based on the overall safety and well-being of the child, and on their ability to use a mask correctly with minimal assistance," the Organization adds.