Parents Demand Action on Delayed School Infrastructure Projects
In Casablanca, parents of students enrolled in the French mission schools are voicing their frustration over what they describe as "administrative stagnation" on the part of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE). This discontent is centered around a significant real estate project that remains stalled, affecting the development of four educational institutions within the Casablanca-Mohammedia area. In an open letter addressed to Claudia Schérer-Effosse, the General Director of AEFE, the parent associations UCPE/FCPE Morocco, PEEP Morocco, and APEEF have expressed their concerns regarding the delays that have plagued the construction of the Anatole France middle school and the Théophile Gautier, Bizet, and Ernest Renan schools.
The associations highlight that this real estate initiative, part of the SPSI 3 program spanning from 2022 to 2026, was initially intended to represent a substantial investment of 16 million euros. Since 2021, families have been asked to contribute through increased tuition fees aimed at financing these enhancements. However, despite nearly 15 million euros being allocated for the project, no construction work has commenced thus far. The parents' representatives also reported that the project cost has escalated by approximately 30%, now estimated at 21 million euros, which further exacerbates their concerns about transparency and accountability. Despite numerous inquiries directed at AEFE officials since 2023, parents have reported a complete lack of communication regarding the status of the project.
In their correspondence, the parent associations lament the deteriorating conditions of the current infrastructures, which they describe as "degraded, outdated, or temporary." They argue that this reality is incompatible with the financial burdens placed on families. Moreover, there is a growing concern that multiple generations of students may leave these schools without ever benefiting from the promised new facilities. In response to the ongoing situation, the associations are demanding the immediate activation of the SPSI 3 program, the establishment of a clear timeline for the commencement of construction, and a suspension of tuition fee increases for the 2026-2027 academic year until the construction projects are actually underway.
As reported by lesiteinfo.com.
