Students from the Ouirgane commune in the Al Haouz province, which was deeply affected by the September 8 earthquake, have transferred to boarding schools in Marrakech to continue their education.
Nearly 800 students from the Ouirgane high school will be admitted to the Mohammed V High School in Marrakech, while 385 from the Tinmel High School will be admitted to the Ben Youssef High School, according to Al Haouz’s Provincial Directorate of National Education.
Over 300 students from the Ighil High School will be admitted to the Cadi Ayyad Institute for Original Education.
In addition to continuing their education which has been interrupted by the natural disaster, the students will receive social assistance and psychological help from professionals, according to Morocco’s news agency MAP.
At the provincial level, around 6,000 students from the most affected areas will be enrolled in six schools. The students come from the areas of Ighil, Ouirgane, Anougal, Talat N’Yacoub, and Azgour.
Ahmed Mida, an education inspector, told MAP that the Provincial Directorate of Al Haouz will be supporting and monitoring the students as part of royal instructions to support the victims of the earthquake.
He detailed that a committee was formed to ensure the transfer of the students as well as their accommodation in adequate educational institutions.
The destructive earthquake which hit several Moroccan regions on September 8 has left nearly 3,000 dead, with over 5,500 injured.
UNICEF has estimated that over 100,000 children have been affected by the unprecedented natural disaster.
In response, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI declared that the children orphaned by the disaster would be given the status of Ward of the Nation, meaning that Morocco’s government will be responsible for their livelihood and well-being.
