Agadir – Morocco has expanded its school grant system to reach nearly 3.4 million students receiving back-to-school allowance (bourse de la rentrée scolaire) coverage for the 2025–2026, according to the Minister of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, Mohamed Saad Berrada.
Berrada emphasized on the importance of the grant system in improving access to education nationwide, stating that “supporting children’s schooling is a cornerstone of our policy to strengthen education and combat school dropouts”.
The minister summarized the expansion of social support policies, in which the system witnessed 19 % increase compared with the previous year.
One of the challenges the ministry addressed is the rural regions’ lack of access to quality education. Berrada pointed out that over 1.93 million out of 3.4 million students that benefited from the program are from the rural places which represents approximately 60% of the total number.
According to the ministry, school transport services now reach about 700,000 students nationwide, with nearly 600,000 of them living in rural areas, marking a 4% increase from the previous school year.
Nearly 217,000 students are benefiting from boarding facilities, including about 163,000 in rural communities, reflecting an 8% rise in the use of residential schooling compared to last year. These measures played a significant role in reducing dropout rates among students who live far from secondary schools
The program extended to integrate family allowances with the school grant to ensure that families receive meaningful support to keep their kids in school. The ministry intended to include families because financial struggle is one of the big reasons for students dropping out of school especially in rural areas.
In addition to school grants, the Moroccan government created several reforms in recent years, aiming to reinforce education equity in different areas of the country. One such program was the “Million Schoolbags” initiative that directs financial aid to families with more flexible support for education costs.
Berrada noted that “these measures not only support families financially but also reinforce equality of opportunity across the national education system.”
