Taounate schools remain closed as storm damage mounts, distance learning continues

Authorities in Morocco’s Taounate province have extended the suspension of in-person classes until Wednesday, Feb. 11, due to ongoing severe weather, while maintaining distance learning for students across the region.

The provincial education directorate said in a statement that classes will remain suspended on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at all public and private schools, early childhood education units and nonformal education centers, citing continued weather disruptions and safety concerns.

Provincial education director Ibrahim Wahmou said remote learning is continuing through the “Telmid TICE” digital platform, which allows students to access recorded lessons without using internet data. Additional recorded lessons produced by the directorate are also being shared, alongside live and recorded content broadcast on the directorate’s official Facebook page.

Wahmou said coordination is ongoing with school administrators, inspectors and parent associations to ensure students can access online resources and continue their studies during the closure.

Severe rainfall has caused significant damage to educational infrastructure in the province. As of Saturday, authorities had recorded damage to 92 classrooms, 21 perimeter walls, 35 administrative facilities and seven boarding school units. The damage includes roof leaks, flooding inside classrooms, collapsed fencing and the destruction of some educational equipment.

Education officials said tenders for repair and reconstruction work have already been launched, while additional preventive repair projects were approved earlier for structurally vulnerable classrooms. Priority will be given to the most affected facilities once weather conditions stabilize.

Authorities said remedial and academic support programs will be implemented after schools reopen to compensate for lost instructional time, particularly in primary and lower secondary institutions.