Earthquake in Morocco: A new school year

In the small town of Asni, traditional tents serve as a makeshift school for middle and high school students, more than a week after the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco. The Moroccan Ministry of Education has set up 32 traditional tents in Asni, which serve as a school for 2,800 middle and high school students.

At dawn, Brahim El Berd walked for hours from his remote village to accompany his son to the temporary college erected in typical Moroccan caidal tents, in the small town of Asni south of Marrakech, more than a week after the earthquake.

This 45-year-old man and his 13-year-old son Abdessamad travelled 14 km from Tinghar, «dodging stray dogs» carrying a simple flashlight.

«I make all these efforts for him. I don’t want him to drop out of school but it’s hard, I don’t know if he’s going to keep up» worries Mr. Berd, who met him at the entrance of a vacant lot in Asni.

There, the Ministry of Education set up 32 tents to accommodate the 2,800 middle and high school students in the sector.

«I hope that the authorities will think about setting up buses, because there are many children from remote villages, otherwise we will not get out» he told AFP.

Like Abdessamad, 15-year-old Samira Aït Achichaou took the road at dawn with her father, hitchhiking from the village of Ousserterk, more than 50 km east of Asni.

The schoolgirl was a boarding school resident in the region, partially destroyed by the earthquake.

A total of 530 schools and 55 boarding schools were damaged in the September 8 earthquake, which claimed nearly 3.000 lives, according to an official report.

Courses have been suspended in some 40 municipalities in the provinces of Al-Haouz, Chichaoua and Taroudant, which have been hit hard.

A situation affecting one million students enrolled and deemed «worrying» by UNESCO.

«It’s hard but I’m happy to go back to school» says young Samira.

If the lessons did not resume properly on Monday, for «organizational considerations» explains Abdellah Zahid, a French teacher, the students flocked.

«At first, we focus on listening to our students and their psychological support» explains the 32-year-old professor at AFP: «We are mobilized to resume classes by reviewing our schedules and succeed this school year which promises to be difficult»

Justine Ako.