School Safety Revolution: Morocco’s Bold Plan to Keep Students Protected

"Some students are forced to spend these periods outside the establishment, exposing them to multiple risks that may affect their safety, discipline and academic performance," explains the ministry in a circular signed by the acting secretary general. This measure aims to allow students from disadvantaged backgrounds or whose residences are far away to be kept safe inside schools during lunch breaks and off-peak hours so that they are not left to their own devices.

It is a "essential priority to establish a climate conducive to learning and development," the note specifies, inviting the regional directorates to set up spaces within the establishments where students can spend these moments in complete safety. Educational, cultural or sports activities will be organized in these spaces to maintain the motivation and vitality of the learners. The educational teams are also invited to guarantee the physical and psychological safety of the students and to prevent any deviant behavior.

The measure is part of the ministry’s efforts to improve the quality of the educational environment and combat school dropout and abandonment. The ministry calls for synergy of action between the provincial directorates and the local authorities, as well as the parents’ associations and civil society actors to ensure the success of this operation. What the ministry fails to say above all is that the main objective of this initiative is to prevent them from participating in the GenZ 212 demonstrations that Morocco has been experiencing for about ten days.