Agadir – Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch addressed a series of reforms in Morocco’s education sector on Monday aimed at improving quality, expanding access, and restoring confidence in public schools.
Speaking before the House of Representatives, Akhannouch said the government’s education agenda is rooted in the vision of King Mohammed VI, who has consistently placed education at the center of Morocco’s development strategy.
“These reforms derive their fundamental legitimacy from the High Royal Directives that His Majesty King Mohammed VI has consistently emphasized since ascending the throne,” Akhannouch said, noting that education remains a national priority for building “a modern and dignified Morocco.”
The 2022-2026 roadmap
Akhannouch said the government has sought to translate this vision into concrete action through the implementation of the 2022-2026 Roadmap for a Quality Public School, which was launched at the beginning of the current government’s mandate.
“The government launched, at the beginning of its mandate, the 2022-2026 Roadmap for a Quality Public School as a comprehensive reform framework aimed at achieving genuine transformation within the education system,” he said.
Expanding access and strengthening infrastructure
Among the reforms highlighted was the expansion of preschool education. Akhannouch reported that enrollment rates exceeded 80% during the 2025-2026 academic year, benefiting more than 985,000 children nationwide.
To support this expansion, the government created more than 11,000 new preschool classrooms and introduced new governance mechanisms to improve the sector’s management.
The government has also prioritized strengthening educational infrastructure and widening access to schooling across the country.
Public schools currently serve approximately seven million students, including 730,000 first-time enrollees this academic year, representing a 7.4% increase compared to the previous year.
Akhannouch also attributed this rise to the growing trust among Moroccan families in the public education system.
“These students are supervised by more than 299,000 teachers across all educational levels within a network comprising more than 12,441 educational institutions,” he noted.
Investing in human capital
The government has simultaneously focused on improving the status and working conditions of education professionals, describing educational staff as a central pillar of reform.
“At the same time, the government made the improvement of the conditions of educational staff and the strengthening of their status within society a central commitment,” Akhannouch maintained.
A major component of the reform effort has been increased public investment. According to the head of government, the education sector’s budget rose by more than 89% between 2021 and 2026, increasing from MAD 58 billion ($6.27 billion) to MAD 99 billion ($10.7 billion).
“This clearly demonstrates the central place education occupies among the government’s priorities as a strategic investment in future generations and in the country’s development,” he said.
Beyond expanding access, Akhannouch stressed that the government’s objective is to ensure equal opportunities and improve educational quality throughout the North African country.
The roadmap seeks to strengthen territorial and social equity by providing balanced educational opportunities across urban and rural areas while ensuring that schools become “suitable, attractive, and conducive to learning and success.”
“True democracy in education is not limited to access to schooling; it extends to guaranteeing quality, fairness, and equal opportunities for every student, regardless of social background or geographic location,” Akhannouch said.
The head of government argued that these reforms are essential to restoring public confidence in Morocco’s schools and building the human capital needed to support the country’s long-term development ambitions.
