Morocco Higher Education: Situational Analysis Report
In 2019, the Moroccan government introduced a law requiring all primary school teachers to complete a three-year undergraduate degree in education (i.e., cycle de licence de l’éducation (CLE)) from an accredited university, in addition to two more years in trainings, totaling to a five-year cycle of requirements. This law was an overall shift from previous practices of teacher training, where pre-service teachers were permitted to pursue undergraduate study in any field and complete a six to seven month long pre-service training program to teach. USAID/Morocco requested SI to conduct a Higher Education Situational Analysis of the pilot bachelor’s degree in primary education to provide relevant information about the present state of undergraduate primary teacher preparation to inform the Higher Education Partnership Morocco (HEP-M) program, which supported the development of a uniform bachelors in primary education (BPE) undergraduate degree.
The situational analysis had two primary areas of focus:
- The first-year implementation of the BPE in eight selected universities and
- The current system of teacher training at Moroccan Regional Centers of Education and Formation, where the final qualifying cycle of primary teacher training is conducted.
The recommendations outlined in the report were further informed by a thorough contextual analysis of the teacher preparation program in Morocco, relevant international research, policy, and best practices for the preparation of educators. This included a special emphasis on developing one inclusive system of education for all students at all levels (early childhood, primary, secondary, and post-secondary), with the provision of support to meet the needs of students with disabilities.