A nationwide school reform programme is helping more than 2 million children strengthen foundational learning skills and create more supportive classroom environments in Morocco.
“The Pioneer Schools program places equal emphasis on the student, the teacher, and the institution itself—calling on schools to rise to the level of both learning and the learner, and to become attractive, supportive environments,” said Ilham Ait Azzi, a teacher participating in the programme.
Launched in 2023, the Pioneer Schools initiative has expanded from 626 public primary schools to 4,626 schools, covering around 54% of Morocco’s public primary education system. The programme equips 75,000 teachers with evidence-based teaching methods, targeted remedial support and structured learning materials. An evaluation found that students in Pioneer Schools outperformed 82% of their peers in comparable schools after just one year. Building on these results, the reform has also expanded to 786 lower-secondary schools serving approximately 678,000 students to improve learning outcomes, reduce school dropout rates, and ensure greater educational equity nationwide.
