Moroccan Crown Prince launches new academic year

Rabat, Sep 7 (IANS/MAP) Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan on Thursday launched a new academic year at a school of vocational training here and also the royal initiative “One Million Schoolbags” which will benefit 4,262,000 pupils this year.

Some 7,870 million pupils are enrolled, of which 4,322,482 are in primary education, 1,722,949 in secondary education, 1,026,296 in upper secondary education and 805,201 pupils in preschool education.

A total of 593,000 trainees are enrolled in the various vocational training courses (vocational baccalaureate, qualifying training, technician, specialised technician, etc.).

The “One Million School Bags” was launched by King Mohammed VI in 2008 and is renewed every year. The initiative, led by the territorial governance bodies of the National Initiative for Human Development (NHRI), covers all the provinces and prefectures of the Kingdom and benefits students of primary and college education, with priority given to rural areas.

It is part of a solidarity approach and aims mainly to guarantee equal opportunities in education and to combat the phenomenon of dropping out of school.

The “One Million Schoolbags” operation is an integral part of the national strategy for social support for schoolchildren and their families, which also provides for a financial support programme for poor families.