Schools in Morocco - Emi

During our trip to the mountains, we saw two different schools – the public school where students have two hours of class each day with a dedicated but overworked teacher, and the private school where art and lots of outdoor time supplement the regular curriculum. Since then, I’ve encountered a lot of the aspects of schooling in Morocco, and that’s what I’ll post about today!

We attend Arabic lessons at the CLC (Center for Language and Culture), a private institution whose main purpose is teaching English to Moroccans that also hosts a number of student groups from the US throughout the year (ours being the only one now). The students are of all ages, children through adult, and from most social backgrounds. The school aged children attend a range of schools – public and private. Our host siblings, who are all or have all been students at the CLC, attend different schools all over the city.

The public school system in Morocco is greatly influenced by the French. It starts with kindergarten, elementary school, three years in middle school and three years in high school. Students must pick a specialty before their first year of high school, at age 14 or 15. Specialties vary, including economics, mathematics and science, literature, and experimental science. These are the most popular choices according to the Moroccan youth I’ve spoken to, but there are other, less chosen options including technology and art.

The most important part of schooling in Morocco is the Baccalaureate at the end of “lycee” (high school). One recent high school graduate said it was more important than a PhD. Without a good grade on the Bacc, it is hard to enter university in the most valued fields – Economics and the sciences.

Another interesting aspect of school here are the subjects that people value. Teachers and students alike have told me that literature is more of a “slacker” subject for some, because it requires less studying.  It has no minimum required grade on the baccalaureate to enter university, whereas economics and especially the sciences do. When I talk to people about what I study, they automatically assume economics or business, and it seems as though the majority of our host siblings are studying econ! A Moroccan teacher was lamenting this imbalance of value – he said that public universities of science receive more funding and attention from the government than others. He especially worried about Quranic studies receiving the least attention, least funding, and students with the worst grades. He suggested that may create a more conservative and uneducated focus for religious scholars in Morocco.

Private schools are a large presence in Morocco. Public schooling is generally not reputed to be of excellent quality, so many parents who value education make a huge effort to send their kids to private school or private English lessons at places like the CLC. There are a variety of private schools in Marrakesh for all ages, and in fact, a Nun-run Catholic private school is right across the street from the CLC. My Arabic teacher sends his children there and said that almost all of the students are Muslim, and since the school doesn’t teach Catholicism it is a good choice for children of all religions in contrast to some of the public school options. At a high school level, I have met students who attend the private French high school (Lycee Victor Hugo) and my host siblings attend the American School of Marrakesh. These are more costly than the other private schools but are very helpful for students wishing to attend university abroad. Public schools in Morocco do prepare students to enter the French system because they both use the baccalaureate test, but most students stay in country for their undergraduate studies.

In Moroccan schools, children begin learning both Arabic and French from the start of their education, and are required by the national curriculum to add English beginning in seventh grade. Some students even add on Spanish or German. This is on top of the colloquial dialect, Darija, which is spoken at home and in the streets. We have earned respect from Moroccans for learning Arabic simply because they value language so much – they are used to tourists not speaking a word of Arabic or Darija.

This was just a summary of the basics. There are so many details that are impossible to take in just by knowing the facts. I hope to post a “part 2” with more information on how Moroccan schools relate to Moroccan culture.