Rabat – Authorities in Sidi Slimane have launched an emergency education plan to ensure that students affected by recent floods can resume their studies after their schools were rendered inaccessible by rising waters.
The Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports has redistributed approximately 400 students whose schools were flooded, assigning them to five host institutions — including one primary school, three middle schools, and one high school — as well as two boarding facilities to accommodate those in need of housing.
The decision followed days of disruption as several schools remained surrounded by water, preventing students from returning to their classrooms. In response, education officials implemented a temporary redeployment strategy tailored to the exceptional circumstances on the ground.
According to SNRTnews, Provincial Director Jawad Zaher acknowledged the logistical challenges posed by the sudden influx of students into already operating schools. Host institutions must now accommodate both their original students and new arrivals, stretching classroom capacity. The province has also received displaced families and students from other flood-affected areas outside the Gharb region.
To ease infrastructure constraints, additional classrooms have been equipped and temporary learning tents installed in some shelter centers. A special timetable has been introduced to guarantee students at least two hours of instruction per day while conditions stabilize. The measures are being coordinated with the provincial monitoring committee, chaired by the governor.
Administrative procedures have been simplified to facilitate student transfers, particularly for families who have temporarily relocated to other cities. Intensive review sessions have also been scheduled for students housed in shelters.
In parallel, distance learning is available through the “TELMIDTiC” platform, while teaching and administrative staff are being mobilized to provide both academic and psychological support. Officials say the goal is not only to maintain educational continuity but also to help students cope with the emotional impact of displacement.
Similar emergency education measures have been adopted across the three Gharb provinces — Sidi Slimane, Sidi Kacem, and Kenitra — as authorities work to balance on-the-ground constraints with students’ right to learning until floodwaters recede and schools resume normal operations.
King Mohammed VI has ordered the government to ensure an extensive support program with an estimated budget of MAD 3 billion to assist people affected by recent floods and evacuations.
A statement from the Head of Government’s office declared the weather disruptions a state of disaster, and classified the most affected communities as disaster zones.
The four affected provinces include Larache, Kenitra, Sidi Kacem, and Sidi Slimane.
The government clarified that it has prepared a support and assistance program with an estimated budget of MAD 3 billion based on “a thorough and detailed assessment of the field situation as well as careful study of the economic and social consequences of these weather disruptions.”
