Morocco’s Innovative Education Reform Draws Attention at Paris Conference

Is Morocco an example for France in international tests? On the sidelines of the international conference of the Scientific Council of National Education (CSEN) held last Wednesday in Paris, Moulay Youssef El Azhari, director of educational action at the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, explained that Morocco has implemented a radically new approach for the past two years that has completely overhauled the school system, including programs and training. An independent evaluation has shown a very strong progression index for Moroccan students, previously at the bottom of the rankings in international tests (Pisa, Pearls, Timss...), he noted.

The new system includes assessments at the beginning of each primary school year, followed by a six-week period of group work by level, before resuming in full class. The Moroccan government has made a "significant" investment, particularly to improve teacher compensation, El Azhari said, without providing figures. Morocco also intends to extend its new system in the coming years.

Like Morocco, Portugal also highlighted its new teaching methods at this scientific meeting. In addition to government investment in education, the valorization of teaching and teachers throughout society counts in the performance of an education system, as does the stability of educational policies, said Joao Marôco, a professor at the Lusophone University. Matthieu Lahaye, head of the education and educational action department at the Ministry of National Education, agrees: "We must avoid the pendulum system" and "find a consensus to design a coherent policy for ten, twenty, thirty years." France is still lagging behind in this area. Drawing inspiration from the Moroccan and Portuguese models could allow it to put an end to the succession of sometimes contradictory reforms.