In Rabat and Taza, I have spent time in both public and private schools, as well as at a teachers' college. While we were warmly welcomed at every school we visited (usually with Moroccan mint tea), all of the visits required prior approval from the Moroccan Ministry of Education.
The Moroccan educational system is based on the French system. Students take most of the same subjects as American students (though art and music are not part of most students' high school experience), but at the end of high school take the baccalaureate exam, a high-stakes test that determines what a student can do after high school.
Courtyard of Moulay Youssef Public High School in Rabat, one of the best public high school in Morocco, with the minaret of the neighborhood mosque in the background
The sports area at Moulay Youssef. Some of the upstairs rooms serve as dormitories for students who board there.
Library (above) and media center (below) at Moulay Youssef
The Moroccan educational system has undergone several reforms, including one between 1999-2009 which aimed to universalize education among 6-15 year-olds (giving everyone between 6-15 access to free education) and narrow the achievement gap between boys and girls as well as between students in rural and urban areas. To achieve this goal, the Ministry of Education focused more on quantity - number of schools built and students enrolled - rather than quality. Since 2009, reforms have been directed toward quality, with the Ministry renovating and modernizing schools as well as implementing incentives that would make attending school easier for poor children in rural areas, such as offering financial incentives to families and providing bikes to get to school.
Houria, our Moroccan guide, with a math teacher at Moulay Youssef in Rabat.
Host teacher Mohamed El Hayal at Ali Ben Barri Public High School in Taza.
Private schools seem to be more common here than in Vermont, with many middle class families opting to send their children to private schools. The private schools I’ve seen have nicer facilities and slightly smaller class sizes than public schools, but are not as different from each other as I expected. My host is an English teacher at both a public and a private school.
And, of course, THE STUDENTS!! Like you, the students here are intelligent and curious, play sports and hang out with their friends and families. Students don’t have to wear uniforms and don’t dress much differently from students in Vermont, especially the boys. About half of the girls wear the hijab, styled differently from person to person, and all wear longer and higher cut shirts than girls in Vermont choose. (No yoga pants or spaghetti straps here!)
Students at Moulay Youssef High School in Rabat
Students at Abi Dar Alghiffari Public High School in Rabat. (I have a couple of great videos to share from these girls that I will upload when I have faster wifi.)
Students at Ali Ben Berri Public High School, Taza.
Katherine Korte (teacher from Missouri), Mohamed El Hayal (host teacher), Kari Hoose, and students at Ali Ben Berri Public High School in Taza.
Here are some of the things Moroccan students wanted YOU to know about THEM:
- We are not terrorists.
- We love America.
- Islam is a religion of peace.
- Our technology is modern.
- Moroccans are open-minded.
- Moroccans are tolerant.
- We are talented.
- Moroccans are hospitable.
- Despite differences between our cultures, we are all part of humankind.
- Muslims are peaceful - peace is the most important part of our religion.
About half of the girls we’ve met wear the hijab at school. Here are some of their comments about the hijab:
- We wear the hijab because it is part of our religion. (This student spoke about having “conviction” and wanted to make the point that wearing the hijab was a choice.)
- I choose not to wear the hijab because I’m not convinced yet [about my religion]. Maybe in the future I will be. (This student also mentioned that her family, while Muslim, does not pray.)
QUESTION: What do you want Moroccan students to know about YOU?
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