By Safaa Kasraoui
Rabat – Minister of National Education Mohammed Hassad plans to shorten summer vacation following concerns that the length of summer holidays leads to poor education.
This summer, the vacation will last only 42 days, instead of the typical 47. According to a press release issued by the ministry, students will go back to school on Sept. 7.
The ministry will reduce the summer break length by five days in an attempt to improve eduation by the end of the 2017-2018 school year. It also aspires to allow students to attend all courses scheduled for the upcoming academic year.
Students throughout Morocco’s regions will be on leave at the same time, the ministry added.
The new return date applies to the three levels of education as well as for students of Higher Technical Certificate (BTS) classes.
“The ministry ensured a balanced distribution of study periods and exams preparation as well as school holidays. It has programmed a school holiday after every seven weeks of study on average, with the same dates in both schools and universities,” said the ministry.
The department noted also that it will ensure the acceleration of the construction of boarding schools as well as educational buildings, adding that these changes would benefit new pupils as well as Morocco’s schooling system overall.
The ministry also plans to hire the necessary number of teachers in order to curb the deficit of educators in Moroccan schools.
