Rabat – Morocco does not have a state-backed framework to hire leadership of preschool institutions, with the task being instead carried out on an “informal” basis.
In a recent report co-authored by the World Bank (WB), data states that, in Morocco, preschool principals are hired based on their skills pertaining to managing primary schools, for lack of proper regulatory framework governing preschool education.
Titled “Quality Early Learning,” the report assesses the state of Early Childhood Education (ECE) across twelve developing countries, including Morocco, pointing out the suboptimal condition of preschooling in the North African country.
In addition to lacking a proper structure when appointing preschool headmasters, Morocco currently has no national in service training programs for ECE leaders.
Conditions for hiring and training preschool teachers fare no better than headmasters as they are directly appointed by regional authorities. As such, they are not subject to regular evaluations by headmasters, the report indicates.
The report further points out that the very concept of ECE school leadership is lacking in official documents in Morocco and has no legal definition, as there are simply no school principals in many community schools.
Based on the results from the survey conducted in the twelve developing countries, experts conclude that, overall, countries such as Morocco lack a “clear policy” on managing ECE institutions.
While preschool does not seem to be high on the agenda of many developing countries, experts unanimously agree that ECE is vital to developing cognitive and socioemotional skills for children that would help them succeed later on in life.
Without access to proper preschooling, children are more likely to struggle in primary school and beyond to achieve their potential, undermining their access to future equitable opportunities.
Read Also: Report: 64.9% of Morocco’s Children Aged 10 Cannot Read A Simple Text
