Morocco Gives Paramount Importance to Fighting School Violence, Official

Morocco gives paramount importance to the fight against violence in schools in all its forms, a global phenomenon which requires the commitment of the international community, said on Thursday Minister of National Education Saaid Amzazi.

Speaking at a virtual international conference on the fight against bullying among students, organized by Unesco on the occasion of the first International Day against violence and bullying at schools, including cyber bullying, the Minister underlined the need to develop a global ethical charter of good practices for platforms and social networks in order to prevent and fight cyber harassment of minors.

“Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, attaches paramount importance to the fight against violence in schools in all its forms. The National Observatory for Children Rights, under the effective chairmanship of HRH Princess Lalla Meryem, is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child”, indicated Amzazi, who highlighted the Moroccan policy in this area.

The ministry, based on the results of the diagnostic study conducted in partnership with Unesco in 2012, has established an integrated strategy to combat violence in schools, the minister said, adding that as part of the implementation of the provisions of the framework law on education and training, several projects and actions related to this issue have been initiated.

They include the establishment of the national observatory to fight school violence made up of representatives of different ministerial departments and civil society, the generalization of drop-in and mediation cells at school level, the establishment of a “Marsad” platform which is used to record cases of violence and to list them according to the types of violence, and the setting up of a program with the UNDP and the “Rabita des Oulémas” to support the promotion of tolerance, and good citizenship in schools, said the minister.

Regarding cyber bullying, the Minister said that the fight against this phenomenon undoubtedly involves education starting from primary school.

This international conference, organized in partnership with France, aims to create a global dynamic to put an end to bullying at school, by raising awareness of all actors, and mobilizing governments, experts and the educational community, according to Unesco.