In a press release, the school explained that the families’ actions amounted to “serious and persistent acts of intimidation and harassment directed at teachers and administrative staff.” These behaviors, it noted, led to the resignation of four successive directors as well as several teachers, all of whom the school had to replace. ASI also denounced “the pressures exerted on other families who disagreed with this group, and in some cases even on their own children.”
Among other violations, the school cited “repeated attempts to usurp the role of the School Council and management by aggressively seeking to impose decisions that fall exclusively under the institution’s authority.” These intrusions included interference in human resources management, choice of academic programs, pedagogical orientations, financial management, and the integration of new technologies.
ASI reaffirmed that “its top priority has always been the protection of its 250 students, their well-being, and the quality of the education provided.” The school emphasized that “all decisions taken over the past two years have been aimed at safeguarding the institution as an educational community, ensuring fairness among families, and upholding the academic standards that underpin its reputation.”
These standards, it recalled, are recognized both in Morocco and internationally, notably through equivalencies, College Board accreditation via the Advanced Placement Capstone and Advanced Placement Program, and the admission of its students to prestigious universities such as Al Akhawayn University, Yale, Brown, George Washington, Swarthmore, Haverford, and McGill.
Despite the challenges, the school stressed that it had “long prioritized constructive dialogue.” However, faced with escalating tensions and growing hostility, the priority has shifted to protecting students, families, and teachers, while maintaining the quality of education. Considerable efforts to engage with the families concerned ultimately proved fruitless, depleting the school’s resources and energy to the detriment of other students and parents.
It was in this context that, as early as March–April 2025, ASI informed the families in question that they would need to enroll their children in other schools for the following academic year. Several have since joined other institutions, as has been the case in the past for children whose families relocated from Ifrane to cities such as Fez, Rabat, Tangier, and Marrakech.
Finally, the school recalled that this dispute has already resulted in no fewer than 49 legal proceedings brought by the families, all of which they have lost to date. Two cases remain pending, and ASI affirmed its full confidence in the judiciary to rule independently. The statement concluded by noting that the school and its stakeholders “reserve the right to take all necessary legal action against anyone who infringes on the law, the image, or the reputation of the institution, its staff, or its students.”
Editorial team/le7tv