Safeguarding international schools in Morocco: country guide

International schools in Morocco fall into two main groups. Private schools with bilingual or international tracks work under Law 06-00 on Private Education. The Ministry of National Education (MENPS) and its regional academies supervise them.

Foreign mission schools work under cultural agreements between Morocco and other states. These include French, Spanish, American and British schools in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech and Tangier. Even so, Moroccan criminal law, child protection rules and data law apply on every campus.

Many schools also hold CIS, COBIS, BSO, NEASC or MSA approval, or run the IB. Those standards sit alongside Moroccan law and your home embassy's rules.

Article 32 of the 2011 Moroccan Constitution gives every child equal legal protection. Under the Family Code and the Penal Code, a child is anyone under 18.

The Penal Code sets strict penalties for anyone who assaults, neglects, exploits or sexually abuses a child. Sentences are higher when the offender has authority over the child or cares for or teaches them. That covers teachers and school staff.

The Ministry of Solidarity and the Family runs a local child protection network, known as DTIPE. It links courts, police, hospitals, schools and social workers through child support units in each province.

Yes, through the Penal Code. Under Articles 430 and 431, a person who knows someone is in grave danger and chooses not to help or alert the authorities commits a crime.

Article 446 also frees staff from professional secrecy when they report abuse or neglect of a child under 18. That gives school doctors, nurses, counsellors and leaders clear legal cover to report.

Formal reports go to the public prosecutor at the local court. Every court runs a special unit for women and children who are victims of violence. See our guide on mandatory reporting laws for international schools.

If a pupil is in danger now, call the police or the Royal Gendarmerie at once. Tell your DSL and the Head the same day. Make sure an Arabic or French speaker on your team can talk with local officers.

Post these numbers in Arabic, French and English in every staff room.

• 2511: the free child protection helpline run by the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child (ONDH), listed by Child Helpline International. It works in Arabic and French.
• 19: the city police, for emergencies inside towns.
• 177: the Royal Gendarmerie, for emergencies outside towns, where many campuses sit.
• 15: Civil Protection, for ambulance and fire.
• The child protection cell: the unit inside the local prosecutor's office and hospital.
• Your DSL: tell them the same day, so the school logs the step and follows up.

Every school should ask for a local record check before any adult starts work with children. Residents can get a criminal record extract, the Casier judiciaire, from the Ministry of Justice. They can also get a police clearance from the national police.

A Moroccan check only covers time spent in Morocco. Ask staff from abroad for police checks from every country they lived in. Also get references from past Heads of School.

French staff sent from France also go through French checks, and British schools run their own checks next to local ones. Log every check on your SCR, as set out in safer recruitment for international schools.

Law No 09-08 covers personal data in Morocco. The national data commission, the CNDP, enforces it. Schools must tell the CNDP, or get its approval, before handling sensitive staff and pupil files.

Articles 43 and 44 set strict rules on sending data abroad. A school may only do so if the country is on the CNDP list of safe places, which includes the EEA. Otherwise it needs CNDP approval first.

Law 09-08 does not stop a school from reporting child abuse to the prosecutor or the police. Ask a local lawyer to review your CNDP filings before you use cloud software.

In Morocco, courts, police and ministries work in Arabic and French. Even in an English-medium school, drivers, guards, cleaners and kitchen staff often speak Darija, Standard Arabic or Amazigh.

An English-only policy leaves support staff unable to report early warning signs. Train every adult in Arabic and French, so they know who the DSL is and how to report. Read why translation alone is not enough.

Work through this checklist in your first month. This guide is general information, not legal advice, so ask a Moroccan lawyer to check your reporting route and CNDP filings.

• Confirm whether your school runs under Law 06-00 or a foreign mission agreement, and which inspectors apply.
• Find the address and phone number of the child protection cell at your local prosecutor's office.
• Post 2511, 19, 177 and 15 on staff boards in Arabic, French and English.
• Check that hiring requires a Moroccan record check plus police checks from abroad for all staff and contractors.
• Run safeguarding training in Arabic and French for office, security, transport and site staff.
• Check with your data lead that pupil and safeguarding systems have the right CNDP filings.