School Trip to Morocco

After holidaying in Morocco as an adult it would be a firm no from me. I can't imagine too many parents allowing their children go. Would never set foot in the country again, nothing but harassment from start to finish.

I was meant to go to Morocco on a similar trip when I was at school! Except it was 10 days and about the same cost so that seems very expensive 🤣 I've never heard of it being especially unsafe - I've got friends who've travelled there and driven around and had no problems, ditto with family members going for family holidays.

@saraclara young women are super fashion conscious and skinny jeans are de rigeur there.

Well, of course they have to wear clothes still, but all hidden away. Not so in Morocco.

There is absolutely no chance I would let my Year 8 DD go on a school trip this Morocco. This is not about prejudice, not about racism and not about islamaphobia - it all about safety.

Advice from Forbes.com.
www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2017/07/28/10-most-dangerous-places-for-women-travelers-and-how-to-stay-safe/?sh=7eba20f92448

	It’s fairly rare for a man to physically touch you — but you should expect catcalling. The best way to deal is to ignore the person and keep moving. That said, if you feel threatened, find the closest police officer and report the incident.
	Clothing is a hot topic — you’ll see a wide variety of it in Morocco. But it’s advisable to stick with modest styles and avoid belly-baring shirts, short-shorts and strappy tank tops. The reality is, the less you wear, the more unwanted attention you’ll attract.
	If you lose your way, don’t ask a man on the street: Step into a shop or ask a woman for directions. Loitering young men are eager to make quick money “helping” tourists but women out and about or shopkeepers have no ulterior motive.

Absolutely this. How could the school support this? I dread to think of the safeguarding challenges that a trip to Morocco will have.

I mean, would you let your kids go to London on a school trip?

I spent several holidays in Morocco aged 12 to 15 (we were based in Gib) and I remember getting a lot of unwanted attention. Not somewhere I would let my daughter go on a school trip.

It would be an absolutely not from me.

The cost alone is eye watering but I would suck that up if it were somewhere else.

Not a country like that.

I went to Marrakech a while back. The breakfast place I liked to go to has since been blown up by terrorists so I can’t recommend it sadly.

Ridiculous idea for a school trip, sexual assault and harassment is a massive problem there. If the school avoid all markets and just do hotel to escorted daytrip to hotel, they’ll probably be safeish, but no, I would not let my child go there without me, personally.

This has “teacher had always wanted to go there” written all over it.

I should add, I have spent probably a total of ten years living in the ME and Africa, so know a bit about Muslim countries. Some of the reasons I found life there quite difficult still apply, and chief amongst them is the way young women are summarily grabbed or slapped around the privates as they walk down the street. It still happens. Ages 8 to 18 are when you are the most likely to be targeted. Of course local girls don't usually get attacked, but if you stand out in any way and don't "dress" or act Muslim, you're fair prey.

Anyone who thinks teachers are enjoying a free 'holiday' on school trips is deluding themselves.

@shockthemonkey bloody hell😯

@KarenOLantern … ironically the only time we thought we were being harassed was when we got lost and some local people were actually trying to tell us we were in an area unsafe for tourists and trying to give us directions back to a safer place. We ignored them at first thinking they were trying to scam us.

We hired a car and drove around into the desert and mountains…the car kept breaking down and we were reliant on strangers helping us get it bump started and everyone we met was warm and friendly and only too happy to help.

The teachers pay nothing. WTF they're working??? Why would they pay? Of course their costs need to be covered by the pupils. How else would school trips ever happen. Think how much extra work and responsibilities it is and yet I assume parents are only paying their costs rather than any thing for their time.

With respect to a PP, I also took a 5 year old. Not a problem. But not at all the same thing.

A 5 year old gave me respect.

A lone or group of teens not so much.

I was abducted in broad daylight on a busy street in Casablanca. I was ten. Two guys just hauled me off, separating me from my father - two other men were holding him and going through his pockets. Both sets of men were waving knives (one knife between two, nothing excessive[. I think I was taken to encourage my father to cooperate. Anyway the two guys who had my dad, got what they were after and ran off down a side street. My father ran back the way we had come, towards the port where our cruise ship was, leaving me alone with my two guys and a clutch of very angry women telling them off. The men eventually let me go, the ladies were trying to comfort me but I was lost and couldn't understand a word, so was inconsolable. Eventually my father reappeared with two policemen in tow.

Suffice it to say, though it was a long time ago, I would not be letting my young daughter go to Morocco in such circumstances. I have been to Morocco since, with my own children, but have kept in large groups and been very careful.

I've done a fair bit of travelling myself and wouldn't want to teach a DD to fear travel but think its a bit far and not the safest place for a school trip, I'd prefer a European destination, also £1k is FAR too much. It'd probs be a no from me.

@PurpleWisteria1 have you been? You sound like you’re describing a very different place to the Morocco I’ve visited. Yes technically it’s illegal to be gay but it’s not enforced and it’s considered relatively safe for LGBT travellers. I saw many many well dressed, cosmopolitan and fashionable looking women as well as many women working in different industries. You’re viewing things from a Eurocentric/western lens.

I can’t believe people recounting their experiences from the 90’s! The 90’s!!!!!! 25+ years ago - hardly relevant. At least take advice from people who’ve been this decade. I personally visited Marrakech around 7 years ago with my 3 year old DD. We stayed in a Riad in the old town but there are plenty of international hotels in modern parts of the city. It’s certainly culturally very different but that’s not intrinsically bad. Thailand would be a culture shock too. On one day we hired a driver and went out to some waterfalls in the Atlas Mountains, did some hiking and visited a Berber village. No one was hassled or fell Ill unlike our recent experience of a 5 star hotel in Mauritius. Why not find out what the plan is and read the Foreign office advice for travellers rather than jumping to immediate assumptions. ( I assume Iceland would have cost far more than £1000)

Added point, toilets are really very, very, variable and often a hole with no loo roll.

It is just a practical issuethat may distress young girls.

Have worked there - fantastic country, lots of very kind people, but also significant harassment of younger women. Real need to be careful, particularly after dark.

No my dd wouldn't be going

I was there only one day on a cruise stop. Glad it was just the day. Pestered and hassled, no fun at all. Many people stayed on board that day. The passengers in the cabin next to us had a horrendous experience in a cafe, paid 24 euro for 2 coffees. My son went with male friends the summer before going off to uni. He was waiting to leave almost as soon as he arrived. Galloping gut rot and again, pestered when they went out.

The amount of sexual harassment most female tourists who have been there have experienced.

Definitely no - risk too high and benefit not great plus cost exhorbitant for the location/travel plan. She won't mind if you say no because it is not safe.