Alcohol, drugs, fights... public schools, especially the high schools of the economic capital, are now strongholds of delinquency. "I decided to enrol my daughter next year in a private establishment. Her current middle school is no longer secure. She is afraid of the delinquents and thieves who gather in front of the exit door to assault the students," confides Fatima, mother of a young girl attending school in Hay Mohammadi. Indeed, insecurity has become commonplace in the schools of Greater Casablanca.



Last Friday, a young man was killed in Aïn Chock. Officials of the high school, the scene of the tragedy, claim that the assault took place outside the establishment. However, it undermines the safety of students, especially girls. "Every Friday afternoon, we have a problem linked to delinquency. Last Friday, clashes between young people from Hay Chabab and others from Aïn Chock went wrong and bladed weapons were used," explains a member of the parents' association at the Ibn Zaidoune high school. According to him, the origin of the ills of this high school is a sports field created by the Greater Casablanca region. Instead of keeping young people away from drugs, this space has become a place for all abuses. "The said space welcomes alcoholics and the unemployed.

Hookah and all kinds of drugs are consumed there. Admittedly, police patrols are carried out there from time to time, but the police cannot be present permanently," affirms the head of the parents' association at the Ibn Zaidoune high school. The latter has already requested the installation of a police station next to the said field, but in vain. Our source also indicates that minor students who do not want to attend classes also find refuge in the so-called sports field. This attracts more problems for the school and worries for parents.

This situation is not limited to the Ibn Zaidoune high school, most Casablanca schools suffer from the same problem. In some middle and high schools, teachers no longer dare to speak to students for fear of reprisals. "When we start selling alcohol and drugs within a noble institution like school, we can say that the education sector is in freefall," laments a French teacher.

According to a member of a parents' association in Aïn Chock, the management and teaching staff can do nothing as long as schools are surrounded by game rooms and cafes: "In these kinds of places, we vulgarise first of all addiction to cigarettes, then to joints and other drugs". He assures that some dealers wear lab coats and backpacks to pass themselves off as students and sell glasses of "mahia" (brandy) to high school and middle school students. How can we then ensure the education of young people from Casablanca in such a climate?

The parents' association at the Ibn Zaidoune high school has created a library to encourage students, especially girls, to stay at the high school during free hours. This experience is starting to bear fruit. However, it is far from putting an end to delinquency inside and around schools. "Casablanca families, especially the most needy, need help. School cannot do everything and parents are overwhelmed by the problem of drug addiction.

The State should perhaps re-impose compulsory military service. Thus, young people will be more disciplined and will focus more on their studies," concludes a member of a parents' association in Aïn Chock.

The Regional Academy of Education and Training (AREF) of Greater Casablanca has entrusted the security of schools to private companies as part of the emergency plan. In each establishment, two agents watch over the security of the schools in rotation. However, this experience has not led to the expected results. Worse, it has negative echoes among parents. "Some companies have entrusted the security of schools to young unemployed people who are not specialised or trained in this field. It is a failure for the academy, because the lack of competence of the security agents has encouraged the proliferation of delinquency," indicates a member of the parents' association at the Ibn Zaidoune high school, under cover of anonymity. The latter affirms that the new agents sometimes take care of keeping the belongings of students who are absent from classes. They also do courier tasks, but in no way ensure the safety of students. Parents of students thus propose to have security guards worthy of the name, like those employed in banking establishments and companies. They also call on the Academy to require the recruitment of people who do not consume drugs, cigarettes or alcoholic beverages.