Morocco is located on the North West corner of Africa, and stretches from Tangier in the North, just 12 km from Spain, to the Sahara desert in the south. The population is currently estimated at 33,000,000 with a population growth rate of 1.7 percent. Over 31percent of the population is under 15, and almost 65 percent is under 30. Around 60 percent of the population live in urban areas. Morocco’s relations with its neighbour Algeria continue to be bedevilled by periodic bouts of tension over disputed territories in the south. Culturally however the three countries of the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) have much in common. Morocco maintains close trade links with France, Spain and the USA, but also plays a leading role in the Arab world. It has signed Free Trade Agreements with the EU and with the USA, and ratified the Agadir Agreement in January 2006 which is intended to foster greater integration among Mediterranean basin countries as part of the Barcelona Process.
The government has made some progress in generating faster economic growth and reducing unemployment and poverty. GDP for 2006 is predicted to grow by 6.7 percent. Per capita GDP is $4500 (world ranking, 109th). Much of the economy is still dependant on agricultural production but better than average rainfall resulted in the sector expanding by 26.6 percent in 2006 compared with a contraction of 19.9 percent in 2005. Other key sectors are tourism, construction, textiles and manufacturing. Remittance inflows from migrant workers play a major role in reducing Morocco’s trade balance deficit whilst oil and gas imports are a major drain on public finances. One key obstacle is the inertia of much of the bureaucracy, which means that essential structural and political reforms move slowly.
The predominant role played by France in the economic life of Morocco is evidenced by the fact that 30percent of all imports come from and 37.5 percent of all exports go to France. This influence spreads beyond the purely economic. Many of the government structures and systems are based on the ones introduced by France prior to Morocco gaining independence in 1956. French remains the second main language after Arabic, and is frequently the language used in business. Some 20 percent of the population are Berber and have one of the Berber dialects as their mother tongue, and although Amizagh (the Berber language) has for many years been in decline, it is now recognised by the government and taught in schools in Berber areas.
The last elections were in 2003 (local) and September 2002 (House of Representatives). The next national elections will be in 2007. The king, HE Mohammed VI appoints the prime minister who chooses a Council of Ministers that is then approved by the king. A draft agreement on the electoral system to be used in the 2007 elections has been agreed, with the most controversial element being that each party must secure a minimum of 7 percent (previously 3 percent) to gain representation. The current government is a broad centrist coalition and is broadly supported within the country. Its focus on reducing poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and social exclusion is aimed at improving living conditions for the poorest sections of the community. It is also expected that the main opposition party, the moderate Islamist Parti de la justice et du développement (PJD), may be invited to join the coalition at the next elections, if it performs well again at the polls. The King retains considerable constitutional powers and if parliamentary democracy is to be strengthened, some of these may need to be relinquished. The King is seen as a young, reforming monarch.
Education is a key sector and the government has increased spending on education at all levels. The Ministry of Education has embarked on a 10 year reform programme which will be completed in 2010. Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school (age 6-15). Nevertheless, many children -particularly girls in rural areas - do not attend school. The country's literacy rates reveal sharp gaps in education, both in terms of gender and location; while country-wide literacy rates are estimated at 39 percent among women and 64 percent among men, the female literacy rate in rural areas is only ten percent.
Among educated young Moroccans, international education is highly valued. A considerable number of young Moroccans continue to go to France and Spain for higher education. The USA is also a popular destination. Britain’s market share is small but slowly growing, and a number of UK universities have opened or are considering opening campuses in Morocco. Language remains a barrier, but the demand for English is growing as Moroccans realise that while French will enable them to study in France, English will present them with increased opportunities.
The educations system in Morocco is five-tier.
- Pre-school: up to age six. This is fee paying but is provided by both state and private organisations.
- Primary: six -11 and compulsory for all students. Attendance rate for all students is around 93 percent (90 percent- for girls). Rates in urban areas are higher than in rural ones.
- Secondary (collegial): 12-14
- Secondary (baccalaureate): 15-17
- Higher – University
Education is compulsory until the end of the secondary collegial, after which children go on to the Lycée, on to technical or professional training, or to the work place. The system is mixed in terms of state funded and private institutions run side by side.
In 2005-06, 5.9million pupils attended school (public and private) compared to 5.6m in 2002 (excluding pre-school – of which there were 0.7m in 2005-06).
- Primary (ages 6-11): 6857 schools and 13,349 satellite schools cater for 3.94m pupils of whom 1.82m are girls.
- 93 percent of all 6-11 year olds attend school (the rate is 90 percent among girls). The rates are higher in urban areas – in rural areas, the rate is 91.6 percent (87.2 percent of girls).
- Secondary colleges (ages 12-14): 1241 colleges, 1.32m pupils or 73.6 percent of eligible children.
- Lycées (age 15-17): 663 lycées, 0.66m pupils or 46.2 percent of eligible students.
There are 385,000 students in higher education (+4.6% on the previous year).
- 78 percent at universities
- 6 percent at teacher training institutions
- 6 percent in private HE institutions
- 10 percent in professional training institutions requiring the baccalaureate for entry.
Morocco is home to 14 public universities. Mohammed V University in Rabat is one of the country’s most famous schools, with faculties of law, sciences, liberal arts, and medicine. Karaouine University, in Fes, is a longstanding centre for Islamic studies and is the oldest university in the Maghreb. Morocco has one private, English language university, Al-Akhawayn, in Ifrane, founded in 1993 by King Hassan II and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. The curriculum is based on an American model.
As described already, France is the leading international player in the education field. In terms of technical assistance in education, the USA also plays a major role, but after France the main destination for students is Spain. Increasing numbers of students are looking at other destinations and while language remains an obstacle, this is slowly changing. In terms of English medium education, USA is the UK’s main competitor.
Key issues for the education sector as a whole in Morocco include the need for curricular reform at all levels of education, improvement of drop-out rates at all levels but particular between levels and rates of attendance by children in peri-urban and rural areas.
There is an awareness of the need to develop citizenship into the curriculum – possibly to counter the sense of alienation that some young people may have and begin to focus on national culture and diversity. The lack of employment opportunities need to be addressed and the need for greater links with other partners (business, government departments, civil society) realised.
In the HE sector, key issues and results of the education reform programme to date include the introduction of a three tier system along European lines – of a three year Licence (Bachelors degree), two year Maitrise (Masters) and three year Doctorat (PhD).This should facilitate the assessment of Moroccan qualifications in other counties.
The number of students in higher education increased in 2006 by 4.6 percent ( 366,000 in 2005 to 385,000 in 2006). Reforms have included the introduction of foreign languages including English at College level which will improve the degree of language skills of Moroccan students.
There has been an increase in the number of private language schools in Morocco to prepare students as well as professionals for studies in an English speaking environment. A programme Emergence 2010 has been launched to stimulate the industrial sector with one of its thrusts being to increase by 10,000 a year the number of engineers qualifying from higher education institutions and other engineering schools (50 percent from public sector institutions, 50 percent by private sector and international universities).
Programme Azur 2010 aims to bring 10,000,000 visitors to Morocco by 2010 and create 600,000 jobs in the tourist sector. This will require major training investment in fields like marketing, management and tourism.
UK educational qualifications are highly regarded. As already described, many Moroccan students require a foundation year that precedes or is incorporated in their first undergraduate year of study.
Although French retains its dominant second language status, many young people recognise the need to learn English. This is evidenced by our own experience of increasing demand for quality English language teaching from private students as well as from corporate clients
Although we need to recognise there is a long way to go to match the level of interest in and ease of access to HE courses in France and Spain, there is a growing recognition of the quality of HE provision in the UK. Some subjects are not well provided for – especially in science, technology and engineering while business administration and management remain subjects in great demand. The whole area of quality and standards in HE is an area of strategic importance for the Ministry and whilst opportunities for partnership exist, they require long term commitment.
The British Council has offices in Rabat and Casablanca, the two major cities. The main office is in Rabat where there is a Teaching Centre and from the office we manage a number of regional and local projects. In Casablanca the focus is on the teaching centre, but in both centres there is public access to education information materials.
Current education projects in which we are involved focus on curriculum development and teacher training for English language teachers, and we work closely with the Moroccan Association of teachers of English who hold workshops all over the country disseminating best practice. We are working on with the Ministry of Education on a number of their priorities, in particular:
- child centred approaches to learning
- quality standards at HE level
- introducing citizenship into the school curriculum
- providing advice on careers guidance for university graduates.
We offer a paid service for students wishing to apply for academic courses in the UK, providing advice and assistance with their applications. The majority of requests are for English language courses and for foundation courses. A number of UK institutions have realised that there is a potential growth market and in the case of the University of Sunderland, the University has established a Moroccan campus.
The British Council Morocco organises a stand each year at the Forum des Étudiants, the major education exhibition in Morocco and indeed in the Maghreb in April each year with other fairs under the same title being held in other major cities around Morocco either after or before the Casablanca Forum. Moroccan institutions are mainly represented but so too are a number of other countries. The British Council organises a stand on behalf of UK institutions wishing to market their courses in Morocco.
| 
