Private Schools in Casablanca Struggle to Reopen Amid COVID-19 Restrictions

While they were expecting a resumption of distance learning, school administrators were taken aback by this government decision. According to Maroc Diplomatique, managers of private school groups are still in shock.

A school principal recalls that with the contiguous space of the classrooms, they will not be able to accommodate the entire staff (about thirty) given the obligation to respect the barrier gestures, including the distancing measure. "Given that we have very small rooms, the application of this concept will be complicated. We hope that parents will opt for distance learning, to facilitate the rational organization of classes and rooms," she pleaded.

On the parents’ side, this resumption of classes is salutary. For some of them, especially civil servants, face-to-face is the best option. They reject distance learning, which is quite constraining. "I can’t leave my 7-year-old child alone at home and I go to work. We have a continuous schedule and I had no one who could stay with my child. So I had to keep him at a neighbor’s, who also has children the same age as mine, but until when?" worried a mother.

The other major problem embarrassing school administrators is transportation. Compliance with distancing requires them to occupy half of the available seats. Now with their backs to the wall, they have the choice between buying other transport vehicles or making several trips with all the constraints related to this option.