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Every September, Morocco’s new school year marks more than a simple date on the calendar. It reflects the ambitions of a nation striving to strengthen its education system while navigating the complex realities of reform, governance, and social change. Despite successive initiatives, regional disparities and structural obstacles persist. Each “back-to-school” moment becomes a barometer, measuring progress and shortcomings, but also testing the effectiveness of public policy.

 

In classrooms across the country, Morocco’s future is taking shape. Students are acquiring skills, preparing for citizenship, and developing talents that will drive national growth. Yet challenges remain: persistent gender gaps, high dropout rates, and stark inequalities between rural and urban areas weigh heavily on the system. Families grapple with rising costs of education and daily living, while schools struggle to align curricula with the evolving demands of the labor market. The mismatch between graduate skills and employer needs continues to constrain youth employment and limit the country’s competitiveness.

 

This new school year calls for deeper reflection: How can governance and policy reshape education to better meet these challenges? How might the migration of young talent often portrayed as a “brain drain” instead be reframed as knowledge circulation and renewed capacity?

 

In this edition, we explore the story of Morocco’s 2025 school year: a narrative of achievements and enduring challenges, but also of opportunities to build an education system that is more inclusive, efficient, and future-ready.

PUBLICATIONS

Tracking Educational Inequality in Morocco

 

Aomar Ibourk, Soukaina Raoui

 

This paper analyzes socio-economic convergence across Moroccan provinces, focusing on poverty and educational inequalities. While income poverty has decreased, educational gaps persist, especially in rural areas highlighting the need for targeted policies to reduce territorial disparities and strengthen human capital... Read more

Gender Performance in Moroccan Education

 

Aomar Ibourk, Karim El Aynaoui

 

In Morocco, girls often outshine boys in reading, but why does this gap persist, and why is it barely visible in mathematics? Our new research points to schooling, family background, and local conditions as key factors, revealing surprising differences between urban and rural areas... Read more

Mapping Early School Dropout Across Morocco

 

Aomar Ibourk, Soukaina Raoui

 

Why do some Moroccan provinces see children leaving school early while others don’t? This spatial analysis reveals a mix of household, cultural, poverty, labor market, and school-access factors, showing that dropout is a complex, cumulative problem requiring targeted, multidimensional interventions... Read more

(FR) Moroccan Students Abroad: Brain Drain or Opportunity?

 

Aomar Ibourk, Tayeb Ghazi

 

This study examines Morocco’s public orientation policies for students abroad and their link to national development goals. Weak support, passive incentives, and missing reintegration mechanisms reveal how potential “brain gain” can easily turn into a persistent "brain drain"... Read more

 

(FR) Social and Territorial Inequalities Across Morocco

 

Larabi Jaïdi

 

This paper explores the deep link between social and territorial inequalities in Morocco, emphasizing that public policies cannot effectively reduce one without addressing the other. Unequal development tends to persist, especially in socio-economically fragile territories... Read more

(FR) Can Morocco’s Social Protection Reform Finally Bridge Inequality?

 

Tayeb Ghazi

 

Morocco aims to reshape social protection but can cash transfers alone overcome deep territorial and social gaps? Lessons from Mexico suggest lasting change requires pairing financial support with quality education, healthcare, and infrastructure, pointing toward a truly inclusive development model... Read more

 

MULTIMEDIA

(AR) Moroccan Schools Between Inequalities and the Challenge of Reform

 

In this episode, we look at Morocco’s 2025 school year, marked by challenges in quality and equity. Professor Abdel Latif El Yousfi, former member of the High Council for Education, joins us to discuss reforms and strategies to ensure equal opportunities...Watch

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