Rabat – Moroccan students who opted for in-person classes for the 2020-2021 school year will only study 15 hours in school, divided between three days.
All classrooms will be divided into two groups. The first group will go to school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while the second group will attend face-to-face classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
On their allocated days, students will continuously study for five hours to avoid regular trips between their home and school. Traditionally, Moroccan students go to school in the morning, return home for their lunch break, and go back to school in the afternoon.
On the days when students do not have in-person classes, they have to attend five hours of remote lessons. In total, students will have 30 class hours per week.
Speaking on Thursday, September 3, Morocco’s Minister of Education Saaid Amzazi announced the measures implemented to ensure the safety of students during in-person classes.
He made the announcement during a visit to the Mouad Bnou Jabal middle school in Ain Atiq and the Ibn Zaydoun primary school in Skhirat, near Rabat.
The visit, which came four days before students rejoin classrooms, aimed to inspect the measures implemented by the educational facilities to ensure students’ safety.
In a statement to the press, Amzazi said that the schools are well-equipped with hand sanitizers and face masks. The schools have also prepared visual signs to ensure students respect social distancing inside and outside classrooms.
The minister recalled that 80% of Moroccan families have chosen in-person classes for their children. He explained that the figure is normal “given that face-to-face classes were suspended for six months, and families are aware of the importance of returning to classrooms for pedagogical continuity.”
