Reflections on Education Reform in Morocco

Language transcends borders. That’s why I began studying Arabic six years ago.

But when I met with female activists in a café in Fez yesterday, we used three (plus) languages to discuss challenges facing youth in Morocco. I asked questions in classical Arabic or fus-ha, and they answered in French with interludes in the local Moroccan dialect — an amalgam of Berber, fus-ha, and French. I summarized in fus-ha what I had pieced together, and they confirmed my accuracy with nods and giggles.

All laughing aside, the issue of communication in Morocco stems from its proud multilingual heritage. This was evident when I visited a secondary school in rural Fez that was busy with preparations for tomorrow’s year-end baccalaureate exams. Last year in Morocco, only 12 percent of students passed the exams, which are required to graduate from one year to the next. Tests lined the desks and schedules covered the walls. The rigidity of the test contrasted with the fluidity of French and Arabic echoing in the halls. I asked the principal why so few students pass: Overcrowded classrooms? Strict curriculum? Both were factors, he said, but the biggest problem was the lack of motivation among students, few course books, and poor access to technology. (The school’s 12 student computers, which are kept locked behind a solid metal door, are about seven years old.)

The school offers five foreign languages, and will be adding a sixth — Italian — this year. But with few resources for the languages currently offered, I questioned whether another language program would dilute the quality of instruction. After all, 80 percent of students choose to study English as their foreign language.

The challenge of foreign language instruction extends beyond high school. Even if a student masters the high school curriculum, taught in Arabic, and passes the baccalaureate exam in English, he or she must be fluent to enroll in faculties of science at university in Morocco.

IREX's long history of teacher and student exchanges has initiated a dialogue necessary to understanding the nuances of language and culture. I believe this experience can help in Morocco.

All the youth I’ve met thus far are exceptionally talented and intelligent, champions of civic participation and awareness activities. The language divide, however, makes me (and many before me) question the depth of the education reforms. Could a change in pedagogy or advances in technology help students navigate a multilingual education system?