M'hammed Guessous School

M'hammed Guessous School
Administration building hall in the Les Orangers neighborhood; in the background: the portrait of Ahmed Balafrej
Address
Avenue Abdelouahed Marrakchi Rabat  Morocco
Coordinates	34.0142°N 6.8442°W / 34.0142; -6.8442
Information
Type	Private Education
Established	1934
Grades	Primary, middle school

The M'hammed Guessous School is located in Rabat, Morocco. It is a private educational institution founded in 1934 by Ahmed Balafrej.

History

Founded in 1934 by the nationalist leader Ahmed Balafrej, the M'hammed Guessous School was considered a model institution by Moroccan nationalists.[1]

Built in the heart of the Les Orangers neighborhood in Rabat on land offered to Ahmed Balafrej by his uncle M'hammed Guessous, the school was named in honor of the latter.

Before the end of the protectorate, the school briefly became a French barracks before being vacated by the military upon the founder's return from exile.[2]

In 1975, the school opened an annex in the Souissi neighborhood.

Since 2004, the M'hammed Guessous School has been classified as a "national heritage site".[3]

Notable alumni

• Ahmed Piro, singer of Gharnati;
• Adil Douiri, former Minister of Tourism;[4]
• Fathallah Oualalou, former Minister of Finance and mayor of Rabat;[4]
• Ahmed Bouchlaken, known as Cheikh el-Arab;[5]
• Youssef Tazi, businessman and deputy;
• Abdelhak El Merini, Director of Royal Protocol and Chancellery;
• Driss Chraibi, Moroccan writer in French;
• Driss Slaoui, former advisor to King Hassan II;[4]
• Idriss Alami, writer and poet in Arabic.

Notes and references

1. M. Benhlal, Le collège d'Azrou: une élite berbère civile et militaire au Maroc, 1927-1959
2. M. Aherdane, L'école M'hammed Guessous de Rabat (Maroc) sous le protectorat français, 1934-1956
3. Decree No. 2-04.966 of December 10, 2004, on the classification, BO No. 5276 of December 23, 2003, p. 4107 on www.minculture.gov.ma
4. According to the Rabat-Salé Urban Agency: "the controversy about Guessous School is unfounded", Le Matin, July 9, 2003
5. Cheikh El-Arab, the unsung hero on www.telquel-online.com

See also

• Ahmed Balafrej