Private Schools Outperform Public Sector in Morocco’s Education System, Report Finds

In its 2019 report contained in the National Student Achievement Program (PNEA), the council revealed that there is a persistent difference between public and private institutions, specifying that private school students benefit from stronger supervision, support classes, a more favorable social environment, and various resources for their learning.

In detail, the report shows that 6th grade primary and 3rd grade middle school students in the private sector fare better, in all the subjects covered (Arabic, French, mathematics, scientific awakening, physics-chemistry and life and earth sciences).

For example, the report points out that in mathematics, private school students score 280 points (out of 500), compared to 246 for their public school counterparts (a difference of +34 points). In middle school, the score of private school students is 313 points, compared to 247 for those from the public sector (+66 points).

"If we refer to OECD criteria, this difference is equivalent to a four-year schooling gap between the two sectors," says Rahma Bourqia, director of the National Evaluation Authority (INE).