Assafir 24 – ayoube fekhar
At the framework of the many reforms that have been taking place recently, the Ministry of
Education and Youth and Sports has issued finally a memo dated 23rd of May, 2023
advocating the generalization of teaching English in Middle schools as of the next school
year. According to many observers in the field of education, The English language is gaining
ground as far as its importance in the Moroccan educational system is concerned.
The memo issued states clearly that the teaching of the English language will be official
within the boundaries of 10 % as regards the first grade of middle school, and up to 50 %
for the second grade of middle school by the year 2023-2024 while by the school year of
2024-2025 it will reach out for 50 % for the first grade of middle school, and 100 % for the
second grade of middle school. Actually, this is part of the whole process of generalizing
the teaching of English by the year of 2026 to cover up 100 % in both grades (the first and
the second) in middle school. As for the third year of middle school, the teaching of English
has been already taking place since 2005.
This new policy of language learning which obviously accounts for the English language to
play a major role in the Moroccan Educational system requires with it a series of reforms in
terms of the curriculum, the syllabus and the teaching approaches as well. Therefore, the
Ministry of Education and Youth and Sports is putting forward a number of projects as part
of the big vision aligned with the road map 2022-2026 to build up for the new educational
paradigm in Morocco. Therefore, the path towards the achievement of the underlined goals
and objectives is an ongoing process.
With the generalization of the English language in middle schools starting from next year,
the main challenge remains the availability of human resources, the professional training for
this regard, and the appropriate books that will both meet the orientations of the curriculum
and the national charter. Another key challenge is the fact that whether students graduated
from middle schools will have the chance to opt later on for the International Baccalaureate
English stream. If so, they will have to study scientific subjects such as Maths, Physics and
Biology in English. For the same reason, the Ministry of Education and Youth and Sports
has already made a partnership with the British Council and the ALAKHAWAYN
University to equip teachers in charge of scientific subjects with the required training to be
qualified.
However these challenges that the Ministry of Education and Youth and Sports will have to
face in the near future, many students around Morocco hold a big interest and high
motivation to learn the English language, hoping that they gain the International
Baccalaureate in the English stream as it will open widely a set of horizons over sound
academic learning and training that will qualify them for a bright personal and professional
future in terms of linguistic as well as intercultural openness and exchanges.
