Prevention of school dropout: Khénifra focuses on the mobilisation of families

Approach: The fight against school dropout remains a priority for the provincial directorate of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports in Khénifra. In this perspective, a community mobilisation caravan is being deployed for the 2026-2027 school year under the theme "Whatever the circumstances, I do not give up on my studies". This operation aims to identify children and adolescents who have left the education system or have not joined schools, in order to facilitate their return to class through registration and re-registration procedures. Beyond awareness-raising, this initiative focuses on direct intervention with families and local communities. It is about better understanding the reasons that prevent some children from accessing school or continuing their schooling normally, while encouraging parents to fully assume their role in monitoring their children's educational path. Early identification of at-risk situations is, in this respect, an essential lever for preventing dropouts and preserving the right to education. This orientation is also based on a monitoring and follow-up system mobilising the various educational services. On 28 September, the provincial director of national education in Khénifra, Safaa Koustani, chaired a coordination meeting bringing together members of the provincial monitoring unit, notably the heads of the relevant services, school guidance inspectors, and the coordinator of secondary pedagogical inspectors. The discussions focused on the state of schooling as the end of September approached, as well as on the results of awareness-raising actions conducted at the local level. Participants also examined ways to take charge of situations involving students who are not registered, not re-registered, or absent from the beginning of the school year. The objective is to intervene without delay to prevent these difficulties from leading to a lasting break with the education system. The reliability of school data is also among the axes of this approach. The lists from the "Massar" system were thus reviewed in order to identify students whose situation requires special monitoring. Specific attention was paid to families who refuse to register their children. The cases concerned must be transmitted to the representatives of the public prosecutor's office, in compliance with applicable legal procedures, in order to ensure compliance with compulsory schooling. The approach adopted by the provincial directorate is thus based on complementarity between administrative work, local action, and the empowerment of families. It aims to go beyond the simple observation of student absence to act on the factors likely to compromise their schooling. Coordination between stakeholders therefore appears decisive in providing adapted responses to different situations and encouraging the return of the children concerned to schools. Through the community mobilisation caravan, the provincial directorate intends to give new impetus to this dynamic during the 2026-2027 school year. The involvement of parents and local actors is a central element of this approach, which aims to make the prevention of school dropout a collective commitment. By facilitating the return of out-of-school students and ensuring that no child is deprived of education, this initiative contributes to the promotion of a more inclusive school, based on equity and equal opportunities. This campaign also aims to strengthen the prevention of school dropout by intervening at the first signs of student disengagement. It aims to broaden the scope of mobilisation by involving families, educational actors, and civil society components in the promotion of schooling. Through the identification of out-of-school children, support for vulnerable students, and raising parental awareness of the importance of pedagogical continuity, this operation intends to reduce inequalities in access to education, promote student retention in the school system, and guarantee every child the possibility of continuing their educational path in the best conditions.