فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Taounate – November 22, 2025
A complaint from residents of Buhoudah community in Taounate province has sparked widespread controversy about the catastrophic situation at Oulad Ayoub School, part of the Asmel School Group, where students have suffered from a complete absence of teachers since the beginning of this month, with the fifth-grade class allocated only two teaching hours daily under the supervision of a single teacher. This reality constitutes a flagrant violation of basic educational rights, threatening to disrupt the regular educational journey of children in a rural area already suffering from infrastructure shortages.
According to information available from local sources, this school, which includes basic primary classes, faces an acute shortage of educational staff, as no new teachers have been appointed or absentees replaced, leading to the closure of other classes and a dramatic reduction in the school schedule. This situation points to deeper problems in the province, as recent parliamentary initiatives in November 2025, during a meeting at the Ministry of National Education, highlighted similar issues including shortages of educational staff and the non-teaching of essential subjects in Taounate educational institutions, in addition to school transportation difficulties in mountainous areas.
Provincial Context: Buhoudah Under Pressure from Developmental Marginalization
Buhoudah community, located in the Taounate mountains, is a living example of developmental challenges in rural areas, as previous media reports indicated it is “dying in silence” due to mismanagement and marginalization, with road disruptions and lack of basic services, including education. The community also witnessed protests by residents of Ichtom village in June 2018 to reject marginalization, and security incidents related to serious traffic accidents affecting educational staff in October 2018. In June 2025, partial municipal elections were announced in Buhoudah among 68 other communities, reflecting ongoing administrative challenges.
Implications for Students and Community
This shortage leads to disruption of the curriculum, especially in intermediate grades such as fifth grade, where students are deprived of sufficient teaching hours in core subjects like Arabic language, mathematics, and science. In light of national programs for the generalization of communal schools, which aim to reduce combined classes and isolated branch schools, excluding areas like Buhoudah from these programs indicates gaps in implementation. The situation is also exacerbated by school transportation problems in rugged areas, endangering student safety.
Call for Official Intervention
This reality constitutes a violation of Morocco’s constitutional commitments to the right to compulsory and free education, according to Article 21 of the Constitution. We recommend urgent intervention by:
- Fez-Meknes Regional Academy of Education and Training: to immediately appoint temporary teachers and monitor the school schedule.
- Taounate National Education Directorate: to conduct a field investigation and compensate for educational losses.
- Local Community Council: to strengthen coordination with relevant authorities, especially in light of recent partial elections.
We are ready to follow up on this issue and call on responsible authorities for a swift response, to preserve the future of the youth generation in these marginalized areas.
