Morocco Refutes Rumors about Replacing French in Education

Rabat – Morocco has denounced a press release apparently circulating on the internet that says the country will introduce English as the first foreign language in its education system, as of the 2022-2023 academic year.

“The Ministry confirms that this communication is forged, [and] it reiterates that the official reports are published on its official portal and on its pages on social media,” the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports tweeted on April 11.

The statement – posted on the ministry’s Twitter account and dated April 10 – proclaimed that the ministry would introduce English as Morocco’s first foreign language instead of French, starting with primary education.

The copied communique further argued that this decision is the fruit of an agreement signed on January 20, 2022, by Morocco and the United Kingdom to consolidate cooperation in the education sector, to enhance the quality of education in the North African country.

The two countries have previously expressed interest in developing cooperation in the education sector.

In January 2020, the Moroccan-British Higher Education Commission held its first meeting in London.

The commission highlights “the commitment of the United Kingdom to develop academic relations with the Kingdom of Morocco which constitutes, for us, a key partner in Africa,” said British Minister of State for International Trade Conor Burns.

In March 2022, the commission held its 4th meeting in Rabat where Moroccan and British officials renewed their vow to further cooperate in the education and scientific research sectors.

Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation Abdellatif Mirai noted at the time the importance of academic research in sectors of energy transition, climate change, health care, and digital transformation.

As the UK continues to promote the teaching of the English language in Morocco, French remains the first foreign language in the country.

French versus English

The idea of replacing French with English has been at the center of the debate on the reform of Morocco’s education system. Both public and professionals have raised questions about the country’s readiness to shift to English teaching.

In 2021, Morocco ranked 71th (out of 112) or “low” on the English Proficiency Index, up from 76th (out of 100) or “very low” in 2019.

Despite the country’s ranking, Moroccans expect an increase in the number of English-speaking youth over the coming years, according to the 2021 “Shift to English” report by British Council in Morocco.

“English is expected to become Morocco’s primary foreign language in the next five years, as well as the foreign language most widely spoken among youth,” concluded the study.

The study found that 43% of English-speaking participants learned the language in schools (37%) or in training institutes (6%). The rest were self-taught either through online exposure to the language (17%) or with the help of language applications (7%).

French remains prominent in the Moroccan education sector, job market, and day-to-day communications.