Rabat – The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday that in-person education in Sidi Yahia El Gharb, a city in north-west Morocco near Kenitra, is postponed until further notice.
The decision is due to the emergence of a new COVID-19 hotspot in the Atlantic Free industrial zone and a worsening epidemiological situation in the city.
The ministry will decide when in-person education is possible depending on the evolution of COVID-19 in Sidi Yahia El Gharb.
Educational institutions in the area will adopt distance education for all school levels. Classes will begin Monday, September 7.
The measure concerns more than 8,000 students in public and private schools in Sidi Yahia El Gharb.
In August, Morocco’s government announced the decision to adopt remote education systems for the 2020-2021 academic year. The country, however, gave parents the right to choose between distance learning or sending their children to school.
Parents had to sign a commitment form to allow their children to attend school.
The Ministry of Education reported that 80% of Moroccan families chose in-person education over remote learning.
The ministry said that it will update its decisions on education in Morocco according to developments in the COVID-19 situation.
When the ministry announced the decision to launch the academic year at the regular time, several parents and citizens criticized the government for not postponing the start of the school year.
Minister of Education Saaid Amzazi said recently that postponing the academic year will have negative impacts on students.
