During the days of 17 and 18 of January 2017, took place in Casablanca two focus group meetings for the validation material of the new civic education guide for teachers.

The focus groups conclude the second phase of the Forming Responsible Citizens'project and aim to generate a debate, suggestions and validation of the new guide produced by local and international experts.

The focus groups were hosted in the delegation of Ain Sebaa Hay Mohammadi Casablanca on the 17th of January and by the Middle School IBN ROCHD, Casablanca on the 18th January

Participant were school headmasters, teachers of several disciplines such as history & geography, and languages, NGOs representatives, representatives of the school students, 2 trainee teachers from the teacher-training institution in Casablanca.

The meeting was chaired by Mr Imad El Arbi of Moroccan Center of Civic Education MCCE assisted by representative of Ideaborn, Ms Brunella Mariani, and International expert Mr Essaid Motassim in addition to the 2 local experts, Mr. Driss Elhajji and Abderrazzak Morjani.

The Moroccan ministry of education was also present by the visit of Mr Abderrahim Housni, “Commissaire de Ministry of Education Directorate” and Mr. Abdellah Salih, Chief of the Pedagogical Department, Ain Sebaa Hay Mohammadi, Casablanca and Mr Bouchaaib Ezzine, Coordinator of the School Violence Regional Observatories from the Academy of Education and Training, Casablanca- Settat region.

The particularity of the focus groups were the attempt to get the reactions of the students themselves as regards the content of the guide chapters and activities in terms of interest, importance, and procedure of the activities, and also to get them to suggest any further topics, tasks or activities they felt like observing and experiencing in their forthcoming lessons on citizenship education.

Participants had their few minutes'discussions then came up with a few comments among which could be noted the following:

Evaluating aggressive behaviour, misconduct (physical or verbal) during the participative lessons; Analysis of students'discourse (eg. respectful/bad language, problem resolution strategies of communication “To add activities” that are likely to develop within the students a sense of pertaining and being proud of being part of a given entity To use the school space to meet other students and exchange knowledge and lessons. The guide should be complemented by and connected to the real activating of the School Clubs The meeting was closed by a few words from Mr Bouchaaib, on behalf of the Academy of Great Casablanca, Who was thankful to all the contributors to this project, more specifically the UfM and Ideaborn who make of the issue of violence and gender inequality in Morocco a field of priority in their action. He also seized the occasion to thank the funders of the project in the names of the Government of Norway and Principality of Monaco.

Labeled by Union for Mediterranean

And financing by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, and the Principality of Monaco

ideaborn and Partners are open to public and private funds

Contact: jguardans@ideaborn.com