SOS Schools in Morocco
In Morocco, a quarter of young people (aged 15-24) remain illiterate.
In Morocco, there are currently three SOS Nurseries and two Primary Schools. These facilities provide education to children from SOS Villages and from the wider community. Staff members are well trained and the resources available to students are of a high standard. Below you can find an overview on the SOS Children education projects.
Rachid's Story
Rachid is twelve years old and lives at the SOS Children’s Village Dar Bouazza. He likes to take part in Ramadan and make an offering to the poor and needy at this special time of the year. To do this, Rachid saves up the money given to him for his snack each day and gives it to the poor of his neighbourhood.
Ait Ourir : SOS Schools
The SOS Nursery at Ait Ourir has around 80 pupils, approximately 10 of whom come from the SOS village.
- The nursery is a lively place where a full range of activities are designed to arouse the children’s curiosity and develop their skills and language. Recent educational projects involved the creation of Arabic tales, a puppet play and a set of miniature racing cars.
- The school celebrates Achoura, where the children make cakes and decorations. World Peace Day is also commemorated with painting and other creative sessions. At the end of each month, the nursery celebrates any birthdays of the children.
The SOS Primary School at Ait Ourir has around 330 students, with approximately a quarter coming from the SOS village and the remainder from the local community.
- The school has a good record of academic success, with pass rates over 95 per cent. Recently the school celebrated its 10th anniversary with an exhibition of paintings by the students and sports competitions.
- Students are encouraged to become active citizens outside of their classes. Through an Eco-School project, pupils learnt about ways to protect the environment and constructed a tank to capture rain water for irrigation and the planting of fruit trees. For their efforts our students won a ‘Green Pavilion’ trophy which was awarded by Her Royal Highness, Princess Lalla Hasna on behalf of the Mohamed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment.
Dar Bouazza : SOS Schools
The SOS Nursery at Dar Bouazza has around 80 pupils in total, a handful of whom come from the SOS Children’s Village.
- In the middle and older-children sections, classes are divided into two groups, one for Arabic and one for French-speaking pupils. The nursery achieves encouraging results for the children’s individual progress and development.
- The children mark a number of special occasions, including World Peace Day, The Rights of the Child Day and national events, such as Road Accident Prevention Day. At the end of the school year, a party is held where our children put on a show for their parents and guardians.
Imzouren: SOS Schools
The SOS Nursery at Imzouren has around 130 pupils, approximately ten of whom come from the SOS village.
- Through a variety of pre-school activities, the nursery encourages each child’s language, artistic and physical development. The teachers work through a recognised educational program which promotes oral expression, writing, early maths and visual awareness.
- Recently the nursery children took part in celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the village and the 10th anniversary of the school. At the end of each school year, a party is held where the children give a performance for their parents /guardians.
The SOS Primary School at Imzouren has around 350 students, with approximately 50 SOS children.
- Academic results at the school are high, with success rates of around 98 per cent. At a regional level, the school is distinguished by its bilingual system of education in Arabic and French. As well as learning the standard curriculum, pupils can also take part in other workshops, such as those for computing, language and the arts.
- Recently the school has undertaken a ‘pen-pal’ exchange with pupils from the Jan-van-RuusbroecKollege in Brussels, Belgium. For its Echo-School program, the school was also presented with a ‘Green Pavilion’ award by Her Royal Highness Lalla Hasnaa from the Mohamed VI Foundation for the protection of the environment.