Taroudant - According to two recent Boston College-backed studies, reported by Reuters, Morocco, along with several Middle Eastern nations, occupied the bottom of the rankings of fourth-grade student performances in reading, science and math.
Taroudant – According to two recent Boston College-backed studies, reported by Reuters, Morocco, along with several Middle Eastern nations, occupied the bottom of the rankings of fourth-grade student performances in reading, science and math.
The two Boston College-backed studies linked the low level achievement of Moroccan students to poverty and the deficiencies of the Moroccan educational systems.
Wealthy Asian nations including South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong came ahead of all the Arab countries, ranking on top of International students achievement “thanks to their farsighted polices towards primary education”, added the report.
The rankings are based on 900,000 tests of students in their fourth year of formal schooling, which is the equivalent of the fourth level of the primary school in Morocco.
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study evaluated 63 countries’ performance, including Morocco, in science and math while the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study evaluated 49 nations’ performance in reading.
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international assessment of mathematics and science knowledge of fourth grade and eighth grade students around the world.
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international study of reading achievement in fourth graders, conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA)
An Arab report on “Arab Knowledge 2010-2011,preparation of Arab generations to society of knowledge”, had highlighted the low level of Moroccan students and the decline of their reading, writing and speaking skills.
Amid the bleak picture of the educational situation in Morocco, it is noteworthy to mention that Morocco ranks first country in the Arab world in terms of English proficiency, according to the latest report of the EF English Proficiency Index conducted by the Swiss-based Education First.
On the occasion of the anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, King Mohammed VI addressing the Nation, gave a lucid diagnosis of the priorities of education reform in Morocco.
“The education system in Morocco must not only ensure fair and equal access to school and university for all our children, but also to guarantee the right to a quality education, with a highly attractive and adapted to the life that awaits them”
