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More than 268,000 children aged 4 and 5 in rural Morocco benefited from preschool enrollment through an early childhood development program co-financed by the World Bank and the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH). The results were presented on Wednesday in Rabat at the closing of the program’s loan agreement.
The ceremony – co-organized by the World Bank and INDH – also provided an opportunity to share lessons learned from what officials described as a transformative initiative. Moroccan and international experts, government officials, and development partners attended the event.
Figures show that the program created over 9,500 jobs for preschool educators and referred more than 500,000 women and children to health services through community relays. It also raised awareness among 13.5 million people about the importance of a child’s first 1,000 days of life through a social and behavioral change campaign.
Mohamed Dardouri, Wali and national coordinator of INDH, said the program had achieved “100% of its intended results” in partnership with the World Bank. He noted that the Bank’s involvement went beyond traditional lending by offering technical expertise.
“Together we addressed a wide range of rural challenges – from improving child health and nutrition to ensuring quality preschool education and installing monitoring systems that track outcomes against real needs,” he explained.
Education Minister Mohamed Saad Berrada said the results reaffirm his ministry’s determination to consolidate gains and further expand equitable access to quality preschool.
“This program embodies Morocco’s efforts to make preschool education a cornerstone of human capital development. It reflects a collective ambition for a more inclusive Morocco, where every child receives a decisive first chance in life,” he stated.
World Bank Country Director Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye praised Morocco’s performance, noting that investments in early childhood generate economic returns of 10-20%.
“Morocco has achieved remarkable results – preschool enrollment reached 80% in just seven years, well above the global average of around 60% and far ahead of the MENA region, which remains below 40%,” he said.
Part of Phase III of INDH, the program has reshaped opportunities for rural families by improving access to preschool and health services, strengthening monitoring and evaluation, and raising the quality of early childhood services.
Officials stressed that these interventions have fundamentally influenced the future development paths of rural populations, making early childhood a foundation for inclusive growth.
MWN with MAP
