Rabat – Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has made its digital platform available to all students in Morocco’s preparatory classes, as part of the distance education measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The university is offering free access to its educational platform (www.prepadigitale.com) for preparatory students, according to a joint statement from the UM6P and the Ministry of Education.
The initiative’s organizers emailed over 9,000 students and teachers, sharing details on how to access and use the platform, according to the statement. Over 400 courses, designed for digital use in a collaborative effort by the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, the Benguerir High School, and the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, are currently available, and plans are in place to add more courses.
The platform aims to allow students to focus on studies and prepare for examinations without disruption, the source added.
This initiative is in line with Morocco’s measures to support distance learning amid a suspension of in-person studies, to protect the health of students and educational faculty and staff.
Morocco announced its decision to suspend all in-person studies until further notice on March 13. The country has since implemented several measures to support distance learning, including launching an online learning platform that now surpasses 600,000 visitors per day.
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One problem with remote learning, now emerging as countries worldwide continue in-person school suspensions, is internet access. To address this issue, cell phone service providers in Morocco, including Maroc Telecom, Inwi, and Orange, are offering free data access to online education platforms, according to a March 22 Ministry of Education announcement.
Beyond internet access, having the necessary hardware to connect to the internet is also a concern. NGOs in Casablanca have distributed 1,000 smartphones to students to close the education equity gap. Several television channels in Morocco are also airing courses, up to the university level, to promote access.
