Marrakech – In a heartbreaking incident this morning, a 17-year-old female student tragically ended her life by jumping from the top of the Jorf Amouni cliff in the western Moroccan city of Safi, coinciding with the start of the baccalaureate exams for the June 2024 session.
According to Ahmed Karimi, director of the Regional Academy of Education and Training in the Marrakech-Safi region, the girl, who studied at Hassan II High School in Safi, committed suicide by throwing herself from the cliff, located a short distance from the exam center, after being caught cheating by exam supervisors.
The student, who was in her second year of high school studying humanities, left the exam room in a state of hysteria before heading towards the cliff and taking her own life.
Prior to the incident, the student reportedly sent a final voice message to her family members, in which she can be heard saying, “Forgive me everyone, and pray for mercy for me.”
She then breaks down in hysterical crying before adding: “They expelled me from the exam because of cheating, and they told me I won’t be able to take any other exams.” The message ends with the tragic words “I won’t stay alive.”
Karimi emphasized that the student entered the exam center under normal circumstances and began taking the Arabic language exam like her peers. It was only after being caught cheating that she entered a state of hysteria, leading her to the cliff to end her life.
He also clarified that the student committed suicide after being caught cheating, not because the institution’s door was closed in her face, as some social media pages had claimed.
The baccalaureate exams, which started today in various regions and provinces across Morocco, will continue until next Thursday. This year, a total of 493,651 candidates are sitting for the exams, including 373,374 students and 120,277 independent candidates.
Read also: Baccalaureate Exams Kick Off Across Morocco
The results of the main session will be announced on June 26, while the results of the retake session, scheduled for July 10-13, will be announced on July 19.
To ensure the smooth running of the exams, the Ministry of National Education has mobilized various stakeholders and taken all necessary organizational and logistical measures.
A total of 1,833 examination centers have been set up, comprising 28,549 exam rooms, with 49,000 invigilators, 1,833 observers, and 40,000 examiners on hand to oversee the process.
This tragic incident has cast a shadow over the start of the baccalaureate exams and serves as a somber reminder of the immense pressure and stress that students face during this critical period in their academic lives.
