A recent UNESCO report highlights Morocco’s significant strides in education over the past quarter-century, notably reducing the number of out-of-school children and youth by 72%. However, challenges such as high repetition rates, regional disparities, and rising educational costs persist, underscoring the need for continued reforms.
Transformative Progress in Education Access
The global education monitoring report indicates that Morocco has successfully shifted the percentage of out-of-school children and youth from levels exceeding those of lower-middle-income countries in the late 1990s to figures comparable to higher-middle-income nations by 2023. This transformation can be attributed to the prioritization of educational reform since 1999.
Statistical data shows a substantial decrease in out-of-school rates for middle school-age children, dropping from 42% in 2000 to just 6% in 2023. Similarly, the dropout rates for youth in secondary education decreased from 63% to 23% in the same period, reflecting the efficacy of national efforts.
Investment in Educational Infrastructure
The report credits public investments in educational infrastructure for this progress. The number of public middle schools surged from 941 in the 1999-2000 academic year to 2,024 for the 2023-2024 school year. Concurrently, secondary institutions increased from 537 to 1,505, marking significant expansion in access to education.
Despite this advancement, UNESCO cautions that repetition rates remain alarmingly high, particularly in middle schools, where the rate was 23% in 2019, only improving slightly to 11% in secondary education by 2024. While enrollment in primary education has been largely achieved, first-year enrollment in middle school rose from 50% to 90% between 2000 and 2024, indicating marked progress.
Ongoing Challenges and Solutions
Nevertheless, the report highlights the increasing burden of educational costs on Moroccan families. The share of household expenditure on education rose from 1.6% in 2001 to 3.7% in 2014, coinciding with a burgeoning private education sector at the secondary level. In the 2019-2020 academic year, the annual cost of secondary education reached approximately 3,412 dirhams, prompting government initiatives to expand social support programs to alleviate financial strain on families.
UNESCO lauds the positive impact of the “Tayssir” program, which benefited around 3.1 million students in 2025, alongside the implementation of direct support systems linked to the unified social register for covering school entry costs. Additionally, improvements in school transport services have increased the number of beneficiaries in secondary education to 111,000 for the 2023-2024 school year, with rural students representing about 75% of this demographic.
Innovative Approaches to Retain Students
In addressing dropout rates, the report notes the establishment of an early warning system based on the “Massar” platform to identify at-risk students and provide psychological and educational support. Furthermore, the “Second Chance School” program has successfully reintegrated dropouts, achieving a reintegration rate of approximately 72% for the 2024-2025 school year, helping students return to education, vocational training, or the workforce.
The report also highlights the “Leadership Schools” initiative launched in 2023, which employs continuous assessment and individualized support for students, potentially serving as an effective measure against school dropout rates.
In conclusion, while Morocco has made significant progress in expanding access to education and reducing the number of out-of-school children and youth, ongoing regional disparities, high repetition rates, and soaring educational costs necessitate further reforms and strengthened social policies to ensure a more equitable and high-quality education system.
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