School Trip to Morocco

[Goldsand]

My DDs secondary school have just announced they will be doing a school trip in the next school year to Morocco for my daughters year.

It’s normally Iceland but they have changed it to Morocco this time.

A couple of other mums have said they won’t be sending their kids as they don’t think it’s safe to send their teen girls there.

Iv never been personally but I thought it was a safe country overall.

However, now I’m doubting myself …. I was going to agree to her going even though i think it’s steep as it’s over £1,000.

So…

YABU - It’s safe, don’t worry about it.
YANBU - I would never send my teen child there on a school trip.

@Fastandlupine obviously not, but your comment was. As if only once makes it okay 🤷‍♀️

Just because something hasn’t happened to you doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. It’s very rude to accuse multiple women of lying just because you haven’t had it happen to you.

I went to Marrakesh for 3 nights on my own. Lone female wandering around the souks, dining alone, catching shared taxis.

all fine, met some lovely people.

granted I’m a middle aged woman not a teenage girl but she won’t be alone.

Thank you for every post.

Im just catching up on the last couple of pages.

Lots to think about, lucky I have a bit of time to think it over before I have to say yes/no to the school.

Yeah I’m quite well travelled. Independent travel in South America, Far East, Israel and (with one terrifying exception where used up a life) India were all absolutely fine. Kenya not sexually harassed but we were both terrified by the under current of violence but North Africa been twice constant sexual grimness. No way would I ever visit the latter again. Though prob fine now I’m nearly 50!

No they're not hidden away. The women OR the clothes You clearly don't have any idea of what the country is like (though your far from alone in that, given just about everyone's reaction before and after I went there five years ago. This is the sort of thing the average young Iranian woman wears.

Obviously I'm not excusing what's going on there at the moment, but still.

@MsTSwift that is fucking awful, I'm sorry. Had similar but not quite as extreme experiences as you. I'd rather never have another holiday than go back to Tunisia or Egypt. A real shame as I loved the historical stuff in Egypt.

I went with my parents when i was 15, i was sexually assaulted in the sea, had men trying to buy me and men constantly shouting disgusting things at me. Personally i wouldnt send a teenage girl there. I also got lost in the markets in Marrakech and people kept sending me the wrong way to get me more lost and separated from my mum.

Sure they weren`t just wanking among themselves?

Been travelling to the Middle East for work for 30 years. Speak Arabic etc.

I'd never let my teenage daughter go on a school trip to Morocco,
for one thing, the roads are terrifying - esp. coach travel.

No I wouldn't, based on my personal experience of travelling to Muslim countries as a woman.

I am a teacher and have been on many school trips. On every single one the other teachers got drunk in the evening. One teacher even smuggled whisky onto a dry Christian campsite. The lead of a trip to France got so drunk I had to carry her to her room. I have had children with unlocked connecting rooms that have men in them, kids break an ankle and I dealt with it all as the other staff were drunk. I will never let my child go on a residential school trip.

@MsTSwift and I agree with you about Kenya, well certainly Nairobi.

I had more sexual harassment in Italy than I did in Morocco or Egypt.

not saying it doesn’t happen to others, just my experience, and sadly some men are pigs around teenage girls in every country of the world

No flipping way. I say that as someone who grew up on an estate which was 80% Moroccan.
Save the funds for something else.

I've been to Morocco twice. First time age 21 with a female friend - we were both continually harassed and grabbed at by men in the street, felt disgusting and unsafe, hated it. Second time a decade later went with a boyfriend - was not harassed but basically looked down on, all conversation defaulted to the man, hated that too. I'd never send a teenage girl there.

I’ve taken my children to Morocco a couple of times. To be fair we stayed in a resort/hotel which was very safe, but we went out and about in Marrakesh including the beautiful gardens and did camel riding and a mountain trip (booked locally).
We didn’t feel as safe in the main square so we just avoided that area.

I've been to both countries (and now I live in Japan - jet setter lol).

Iceland is a great choice for a high school visit because it's got loads of geographical features that are are academically relevent (walking along a tectonic plates boundary, hot springs, the absense of trees etc). It's also a very expensive country since a lot of produce has to be imported, so I wonder if that's the reason for the change this year?

Morocco is fun, and depending on the age and maturity of my daughter, I would let her go, but let her know not to talk to any strange men or be alone there (yes, I got talked to the moment my ex went to the bathroom or something). I also got minor food poisioning - and I was vegetarian then so it wasn't meat or fish.

Hmm, now I've just written the above, actually I'm changing my mind lol. I guess I wouldn't let her go. I'd apologise to her, and discuss with the other parents/school to see if it could be changed to somewhere more appropiate. I'm not sure what they'd "learn" in Morocco.

Sounds absolutely fabulous. I would love to do that.

Both my girls had school trips to Morocco - one in year 8 and one in year 9 (the trip ran every two years). There was an information evening at the school and it all seemed to be very well organised. They had run similar trips before and clearly knew what they were doing.

They were mainly trekking in the mountains but also spent some time in Marrakech. They were well briefed by the school on what to expect and how to behave.

Both had a great time and didn't report any concerns. It was a few years ago though - they are now early and mid 20s - so possibly things have changed since then.

My dc school have a trip to borneo... hiking and camping for £3k... yeah that's a no!

Plus camel riding isn’t very ethical. Up there with dolphin swimming in an aqua park.

ninaoutandabout.ca/riding-a-camel-in-morocco/

I think you should let her go, if she wants to and you can afford it.

BUT: I went to Morocco as a lone female in 2015. I'd already done a decent amount of solo travel before this, to loads of European countries, USA and central Asia, and my time in Morocco felt completely different. The country is awesome but I did have quite a few very unpleasant experiences when dealing with some of the locals, and I was somewhat relieved to leave by the end of it. I was definitely viewed as someone to try to squeeze money out of, by any means possible! However, I don't think a group would receive half as much hassle as I did. As long as the group sticks together, with sensible, streetwise teachers present, I can't see there being any issues, and I expect it would be a really valuable opportunity for your daughter.

I went to Marrakech with a female friend a few years ago, we were expecting to get hassled more than we did. We dressed very modestly and got a bit of hassle from men while wondering around the souk, but less than we did when we went to Paris tbf.

But I don't think Morocco is the sort of place that I would be happy about my teenage daughter wandering around on her own with her school friends.

Can't imagine there will be many takers to send their kids to a 3rd world country for a grand, so it'll probably get changed anyway.

No way would I let her go. Just not worth the risk.