Morocco’s Education Ministry Adopts Distance Learning for 20/21

School children listen to a teacher as they study during a class in the Oudaya primary school in Rabat, Morocco. Reuters file photo
School children listen to a teacher as they study during a class in the Oudaya primary school in Rabat, Morocco. Reuters file photo
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Morocco’s Education Ministry Adopts Distance Learning for 20/21

School children listen to a teacher as they study during a class in the Oudaya primary school in Rabat, Morocco. Reuters file photo
School children listen to a teacher as they study during a class in the Oudaya primary school in Rabat, Morocco. Reuters file photo

The Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced “distance learning” for the 2020-2021 academic year, which will start on September 7.

In a statement issued Saturday night, the ministry explained that distance learning aims to preserve the health and safety of the students and the educational staff from the coronavirus.

It clarified that “face-to-face” education will be adopted for students whose parents opt for such option.

It vowed to create appropriate conditions through a strict health protocol in compliance with the preventive measures and precautions set by the health authorities, including hand washing and wearing masks, starting with students in the fifth year of primary school.

In addition, educational facilities will be continuously disinfected and the number of students in a single classroom will be reduced to ensure social distancing.

The ministry said the integrated plan for managing the full 20/21 school year aims at limiting the spread of the coronavirus. However, the plan is subject to change at any point locally or regionally in coordination with health authorities.

The ministry will soon inform educational officials as well as students and their families of the plan's details.

The ministry has also postponed baccalaureate exams which were scheduled to take place on September 4 and 5.

It called on educational and administrative staff, families, social partners as well as all community actors to actively engage with all the measures in order to guarantee their success.



Sudan’s Burhan: No Return to Negotiations Until RSF is Defeated

Smoke rises near Khartoum International Airport, adjacent to the Army General Command headquarters (File photo - Reuters)
Smoke rises near Khartoum International Airport, adjacent to the Army General Command headquarters (File photo - Reuters)
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Sudan’s Burhan: No Return to Negotiations Until RSF is Defeated

Smoke rises near Khartoum International Airport, adjacent to the Army General Command headquarters (File photo - Reuters)
Smoke rises near Khartoum International Airport, adjacent to the Army General Command headquarters (File photo - Reuters)

Fierce battles between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have continued in southern Khartoum, as the army sought to reclaim the strategic Jebel Aulia Dam Bridge, aiming to cut off RSF’s supply routes.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Transitional Sovereign Council, reiterated on Tuesday his rejection of negotiations through the Jeddah peace platform until the RSF is completely eliminated.

Speaking at a memorial for fallen soldiers, Burhan declared: “There will be no negotiations or return to Jeddah until the terrorist militia—meaning RSF—is defeated and fully disarmed.”

He reaffirmed the army’s commitment to “purging the country of rebels and restoring security, stability, and peace.”

Reports indicate intense clashes between the SAF and RSF near Al-Qutaynah, White Nile State, and the southern borders of Khartoum State. The army is advancing on Jebel Aulia Dam Bridge from multiple fronts to sever the RSF’s last remaining supply line.

The bridge, located 40 km south of Khartoum, serves as RSF’s sole remaining supply route across the White Nile River, linking their forces in Khartoum (east bank) with those in Omdurman (west bank) and connecting White Nile, Kordofan, and Darfur regions. It is a critical logistical corridor for the RSF.

The Sudanese army has recently regained key areas in Khartoum State, including Bahri, eastern Khartoum, and several bridgeheads, significantly improving its strategic position.

In a related move, Lieutenant General Yasser Al-Atta, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the SAF, instructed government security agencies to resume normal operations across Khartoum State within 48 hours, following the army’s recapture of key areas from the RSF.

According to state news agency SUNA, the Khartoum State Security Committee, chaired by Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza, held a meeting with senior military and intelligence officials to restore law and order, combat crime, and ensure civilian safety.

In El Fasher, North Darfur, the army reported destroying 47 RSF combat vehicles, including troop carriers and supply trucks, while downing more than 100 RSF drones.

The RSF has besieged El Fasher for months, triggering intense battles that have displaced nearly half a million civilians to Tawila, Jebel Marra, and northern Sudan.

The 6th Infantry Division in El Fasher confirmed in a statement that it inflicted heavy losses on the RSF, using ground defenses to repel drone attacks and neutralize enemy reinforcements.