Rabat, Morocco Report of what it's like to live there - 06/12/18
Personal Experiences from Rabat, Morocco
School Name:
Rabat American School
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
I am a parent of children who have attended and still attending RAS.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
Grade 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, They have attended between 2015-2019
3. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government
4. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Yes, there are other schools available to expatriates but they follow the French system. We chose RAS because it is the only school that offers IB.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
Yes the admission officer is a lovely woman who helps us a lot by communicating, organising a visiting tour and giving us the information we needed.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
The integration, support and welcome of new students were really good. My children had bodies who helped them find their way around. About the new families, PTA is run by a wonderful woman who gave me some tips and took me on a city tour.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
The new director is doing really his best, he's holding monthly coffee meetings and there is a weekly newsletter. As parents we can check children's homework online and grades via Schoology and Eduprize.
They bombard you with all sort of emails, messages, Fb posts meetings,... about some issues. Other times you don't know anything that is happening. They don't have a centralised communication and every group (PE, Student council, Board) is responsible for its own communication and it is not consistent.
2. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
No uniforms. Laptops are distributed at the beginning of each year for all MS and HS students with no additional charge. No additional charge for music instruments or school field trips. However the parents are expected to cover costs for national and international sports tournaments. The costs are very expensive. One trip to Verona for 4 days costs about 1000 Euros.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
Yes they do. They hold an annual college fair where many universities are invited to talk to the young people and guide them.
2. Is there before and/or after-school daycare available? What are the costs?
No before or after day-care but they run optional activities for one hour after school.
3. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
Yes they do, it is quite good one. Yes students and parents can borrow books to read at home.
4. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
Yes there is a computer lab. I think they are good in this domain.
5. What are the technology requirements for students? Do they need their own laptops/ipads? How is technology integrated into the classroom and homework?
Technology is ahead of its times. As I have mentioned earlier, laptops are distributed to children at the beginning of the year.
6. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
The whole RAS is at the moment in a small and tight compound. It is moving next year to a much bigger one. So the gym is small, they have a swimming pool. They play all kind of sports: basketball, volleyball, soccer, Badminton, track and field but no tennis court.
7. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
About 16 students to one teacher.
8. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
No AP but there is only DP for grades 11 and 12. It is NOT a full IB school.
9. Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
NO. In our experiences, it seemed that there was no centralized curriculum because every teacher had her or his own curriculum. The new director and the new principal are on route of creating something new and central.
10. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
No. In the elementary classes they don't have homework. MS have some homework but not like the other schools we went to.
11. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
They have music, drama and visual arts. In our experience, drama has not been good. HS/MS still do fairy tales plays. No current stories, no actual conflict or cause to demonstrate.
12. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Well yes, even though we had a Math teacher from Hongkong who couldn't speak English fluently.
13. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No, it is an average school with many rich Moroccans kids who are allowed to do anything they want.
14. What services are available for students with learning disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
They have EAL service. They are trying to put together a mental health team.
15. What services are available for students with physical disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No. My son broke his foot and had to walk on crutches. It was difficult for him to navigate the many stairs (no lift). His friends were helping him.
16. What services are provided for speakers of English as a second language at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
EAL
17. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Yes the have many in MS, HS and of course Elementary. My children are keen on sports so they participated in all kind of sports: basketball, swimming, soccer.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Yes and no. The local children like to stay together, the expatriates change every 3-4 years. It is hard. I wouldn't say that the groups are successfully integrated.
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
Yes. My child experienced bullying and was reluctant to talk with the counsellor. As parents, we helped build his confidence and let him manage it on his own which was fortunately successful.
Overall Impressions:
1. What letter grade (ranging from A, excellent, to F, fail) would you assign to this school based on your overall experience? Would you choose it again?
I would not choose this school again. The main administration left shortly after we arrived (for varying reasons) and while there are new good principals now, there is a lot of work to be done at this school. In my experience, elementary is good but problems arise in MS with meeting acceptable academic standards. We ended up sending my HS child to boarding school.
2. Please tell us anything else you think prospective parents and students should know about this school. Thanks for your contribution!
Consider other options.
