Morocco’s Math Prodigies Outshine French Peers in Elite Schools

"Moroccans have a reputation for being very good at math," notes Gérald Brun, scientific cooperation attaché at the French embassy in Morocco. "They have not undergone the multiple reforms of the baccalaureate and follow a science program similar to that of France in the 1980s." This is evidenced by the many Moroccan students who excel in the competitive exams of the grandes écoles in France such as CentraleSupélec, Essec, Arts et Métiers, HEC... "Each year during the competition for our bachelor’s degree, Moroccan high school graduates generally perform better in math than the French," observes Hugues Levecq, director of the Essec Africa campus.

This reputation is explained by the importance given to math in the kingdom: about ten hours of classes per week in the science-math track. "The figure of the engineer is highly valued here," further deciphers Hicham Sebti, deputy director of the Essec Africa campus in Rabat. Many senior civil servants or CEOs have notably passed through prestigious French schools." In contrast to France, Morocco has also successfully directed a large number of girls towards the sciences, with 42% of graduates. This reputation is also the result of the work done by a unique network of public and private preparatory classes that continues to grow with the support of the authorities and private groups.

"Our competitors are Henri-IV or Louis-Le-Grand. But unlike these preparatory classes that recruit from a very limited pool of Parisian high schools, we select the best students from more than 400 establishments in the kingdom, including in the most rural provinces," claims Christophe Boeckel, director of the preparatory classes at the Lycée Mohammed VI d’Excellence (formerly Lydex) in Benguérir, who placed 16 students, including Yasser Oufqir, at the École Polytechnique last year. The latter is among the 29 Moroccan students who joined the engineering program in 2024, out of 140 places open to international students. "Since high school, I’ve given everything to get into the École Polytechnique. It’s the Holy Grail in Morocco to be part of the elite," says the 21-year-old, a black belt in taekwondo.