Morocco Shifts from French to English Education as Costs Rise in France

The enthusiasm of Moroccans for English-speaking educational institutions is explained by the fact that "pursuing studies in France is becoming inaccessible, especially with the increase in tuition fees for foreign students," said sociolinguist Karima Ziamari, in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde.

Moreover, the researcher at the University of Meknes confided that the English-speaking network more easily opens the doors of Anglo-Saxon universities, while offering a pedagogical approach different from the French system.

This is why several English-speaking establishments, including the prestigious American schools, are established in Rabat, Tangier and Casablanca as well as the British International School of Casablanca and the London Academy, in order to meet the ever-increasing demand.

Since the establishment of the international section of the Moroccan Baccalaureate, English option in 2014, students are increasingly opting for this choice due to the career prospects it offers, said Karima Ziamari.

In addition, this attachment to the language of Shakespeare is linked to the neutrality of the language, its identity and the fact that it does not remind Moroccans of any colonial past like the case of Spanish or French, rejected by some, explains the sociolinguist. For Karima Ziamari, "the status of French is vague and ambiguous. It is omnipresent, but it is not an official language. It is mainly associated with an elite, who speak it at home".