Inequality in Moroccan Education

Literacy and education constitute a real challenge for the Moroccan authorities.
Although gender inequalities were significantly reduced, huge gaps are seen in education between rural and urban areas, by mother’s level of education and by wealth quintile.
During the last decade, real progress was achieved in terms of primary school enrolment. The net rate of enrolment of children aged 6-11 years reached 90.5% in 2008/09. Milieu and gender disparities were noticeably reduced. The rates registered were: 91% for boys and 90.2% for girls in urban areas compared to 93.2% for boys and 88% for girls in rural areas.
Achievements at primary school remain, however, insufficient and incomplete when other levels (preschool, college, secondary and university) are considered. For example, huge disparities are seen for children who are supposed to be enrolled at the college (age12-14). Indeed, only 44% of this age category reaches this level of education, of whom only 16% of rural girls and 22% of rural boys compared with respectively 68% and 65% in urban areas.
Preschool enrolment shows the greatest gaps between the richest quintile (78%) and the poorest (6%), urban (64%) and rural (10%); and by mother’s level of education (secondary: 74%, illiterate: 26%).