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Rabat – The Jacques Chirac School Group marked a significant milestone this Wednesday as it unveiled the expansion of its campus, including a new high school building in Rabat.
In partnership with the AEFE (Agency for French Teaching Abroad), the institution has been a center for French education since its inception in 2019.
With over 1,000 students presently, the school continues to grow, reaching a total capacity of nearly 1,500 students. Employing 130 staff members, including international educators, the institution prides itself on fostering a diverse and enriching educational environment.
Carole Soulagnes, Principal of Jacques Chirac School Group
Educational excellence and unique features
The school boasts an impressive faculty, with over 75% being international educators, bringing a wealth of experiences from diverse backgrounds.
Since its establishment, the Jacques Chirac School Group has firmly established itself within Rabat’s educational landscape, achieving noteworthy success with more than 28% of students obtaining top honors in the French Brevet exams.
The school’s commitment to providing top-notch French education is evident in its state-of-the-art facilities, including interactive projectors in every classroom. The campus, spread across 18,000 square meters, is intentionally designed to maintain a human scale, with four classes per level.
Claude Chirac, daughter of the late French President Jacques Chirac
The school’s emphasis on personal development is underscored by its focus on citizenship, connected learning, innovative pedagogy, and multilingualism.
Citizenship and unique pedagogical approaches
At a press conference held to mark the inauguration ceremony, Principal Carole Soulagnes emphasized the school’s commitment to citizenship. This unwavering commitment is reflected in an inclusive atmosphere, a unique uniform and various initiatives to promote solidarity and commitment, Soulagnes argued.
The school incorporates active pedagogy, encouraging students to collaborate and develop essential soft skills.
Ali Guedira, Managing director at Hayan Group
Soulagnes elaborated on the three pillars of their pedagogical approach – citizenship, connected learning, and innovative pedagogy, along with multilingualism, highlighting that the school’s vision is to be an inclusive educational entity catering to diverse student profiles and offering specific educational paths.
French education on the global stage
In response to concerns about the relevance of the French education system in the age of globalization, Ali Guedira, managing director at Hayan Group, highlighted the system’s strengths. In particular, Guedira argued, the French education system excels in the sciences, where it occupies a prime position on the world stage.
Max Vasseur, head of the Maghreb-Iberian Peninsula sector at Aefe
Despite perceived weaknesses, the school is striving to remedy them through its educational offerings, notably multilingualism.
With its double diploma program that enables students to obtain both the French baccalaureate and the high school diploma, the school seeks to offer students versatile opportunities to access higher education.
In his inauguration remarks, Guedira urged parents and students to explore different educational systems, emphasizing that the French education system opens the door to diverse global opportunities.
Celebrating French-Moroccan relations
The school’s inauguration ceremony was attended by notable figures, including French Ambassador Christophe Courtier.
Alexandra Mere Rouco, Assistant Principal of GSJC
“Every day is different, but today is a time to celebrate French education in Morocco, of which we are very proud. There are 42 establishments, the largest network of French establishments in the world, with almost 50,000 students, 8 out of 10 of whom are Moroccans studying in our schools, colleges and High Schools,” stated the ambassador.
Ambassador Courtier praised the diversity of the school, emphasizing its unique franco-arabic bilingual program and the fostering of a multicultural environment.
This commitment to promoting diversity “is particularly evident here (in Morocco) in the educational project, which is based on languages, French and Arabic, since this year, and especially next year, we’ll have baccalaureate holders with an international French, Franco-Arabic baccalaureate,” Lecourtier explained. “It’s something that was invented in Morocco and is destined to develop in all countries where Arabic is spoken.”
Honoring Jacques Chirac’s legacy
Claude Chirac, daughter of the late French President Jacques Chirac, also attended the ceremony and expressed her gratitude for naming the institution after her father.
Michael CUTTS, Australian ambassador to Morocco
“I think Jacques Chirac, from where he is, must be very happy because, as everyone knows, he had a very strong relationship with Morocco, with the Moroccan people, of course with His Majesty, with the royal family,” she said.
She reflected on Jacques Chirac’s belief in education as a means of elevating individuals. Education was one of Jacques Chirac’s life-long battles as a statesman, she argued, stressing that he had always “believed that the only way to rise in life is through knowledge, learning and education. And so we’re at the heart of one of these fundamental convictions.”
