HIBAPRESS – Fez
The Administrative Court in the city of Fez issued a ruling today, Monday, September 29th, annulling the decision by the administration of "Al-Akhawayn School" in the city of Ifrane, which stipulated not re-registering 11 students for the current academic year.
With this ruling, the administrative judiciary has settled the dispute that erupted at the beginning of this month of September, after the institution's administration refused to re-register a number of students without providing clear legal justifications. According to the available data, the school administration had decided to expel 16 students in the first week of the new academic year, which sparked widespread resentment among parents and local public opinion. Informed sources revealed that the school principal, a former officer in the US Marine Corps and holding both American and French citizenships, had made a series of controversial decisions recently, including preventing students from wearing the keffiyeh or expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause within the walls of the institution, in addition to imposing the celebration of "Halloween" annually, with the absence of any activities related to Moroccan religious and national occasions. The same sources also pointed to the cancellation of prayer spaces within the school, which sparked a wave of criticism among parents, considering that these decisions are inconsistent with the identity of Moroccan society and its educational values. It is expected that the administrative ruling will restore things to their normal course and guarantee the right of the expelled students to continue their studies within the institution, with the opening of a wider discussion about the nature of the educational and cultural programs within private schools in Morocco, and the extent of their respect for national and religious constants.
