School Dropouts: 50,000 Pupils Back to Class Thanks to Early-Year Efforts, Says Education Minister

Rabat - Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports Chakib Benmoussa said on Monday that some 50,000 pupils who had dropped out of school had been able to return to classes, thanks to the efforts made by the ministry and various players involved at the start of the new school year.Responding to a question at the House of Representatives on "the fight against school dropouts", Benmoussa stated that the number of students dropping out of schools had fallen by 12%, from 334,000 during the 2021-2022 season to 294,000 for the 2022-2023 school year, but that this figure was still "high".He explained that the Ministry had taken a series of measures to combat school dropouts, including revising the legal framework to establish a unified identification number for tracking individual students, and extending acces to pre-school education as a key factor in reducing the number of school dropouts, as well as providing individual support for students, bridging gaps and improving tutoring for students with lear ning difficulties, as is the case in pioneering schools.According to the Minister, it is also a matter of improving the attractiveness of schools through co-curricular activities, promoting educational and vocational guidance, and remedial education via second-chance schools, as well as strengthening social support services (conditional family allowances, school transport and boarding schools).School dropouts is a complex phenomenon caused by several factors, says the Minister, calling "to bring together all the stakeholders in order to combat this phenomenon".Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse