A group of trainee inspectors received certificates from the British Council as part of a training program seeking to enhance pedagogical and language skills in Morocco’s education sector.
In a statement received by Morocco World News today, the British Council said that it granted certificates for 33 trainee inspectors specialized in English on December 22.
The program, which took place between December 18-22, is part of the implementation of a partnership agreement between the British Council and the Center for the Training of Education Inspectors (CFIE).
“The capacity-building program targeted all first and second-year trainee inspectors in the secondary education cycle, specializing in English,” the statement said, noting that this mechanism included two axes.
The first part focused mainly on English teaching and learning, while the second one aimed to boost the pedagogical supervisor’s skills in planning, management, leadership, monitoring, and evaluation.
“This marks the initial practical action within the implementation of the aforementioned partnership and cooperation agreement signed between CFIE and the British Council,” the statement added, stressing that this aims to support education trainee inspectors and empower their management, communication, and English teaching in Morocco.”
Alexandra Balafrej, Country Director of the British Council Morocco, congratulated the participants in the program, stressing that this program would help trainee inspectors to contribute to the development of professional English teaching in Morocco.
“This allows future inspectors to gain the confidence, knowledge, and tools they need to improve their own practices and transform outcomes for all learners,” Balafrej said.
Director of CFIE Nadia Boudad also expressed satisfaction with the program, stressing that this collaboration aims to contribute to the development of the education system as well as strengthen and consolidate cooperation between Morocco and the United Kingdom.
Still a long journey ahead
A 2022 report by the British Council emphasized the growth of interest in English learning, showing that 65% of young Moroccans regard English as important.
The report includes 1,211 young urban Moroccan respondents, who emphasized the importance of English as an essential language for thriving in many key sectors.
Morocco’s Education Ministry vowed earlier this year in September that it is committed to strengthening English language teaching, including in middle school.
Benmoussa said that 28% of first-year students and 62% of second-year students in Moroccan middle schools will benefit from English language classes.
In addition to the education system, Morocco seeks to introduce the use of English in other public services, including television and news broadcasting.
The beneficiaries of the program
Despite such pledges, a recent report shows that there is still a long way to go and a lot of work to make English learning a key component of education in Morocco.
A report for international education and language learning company EF Education First said that Morocco has shown a steady improvement in the level of English throughout the country over the past few years, with a current score of 478, just below the global average of 502.
The report ranked Morocco 76th globally, with “low proficiency,” while the Moroccan capital, Rabat ranked as the most English-proficient city in the country — with a score of 506.
According to the report, Rabat residents have a “moderate proficiency” in English.
Rabat was the only Moroccan city to rank with a “moderate proficiency;” El Jadida came in second place with a score of 497, followed by Oujda with 493, Casablanca with 486, and Tetouan with 481.
