Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to schools
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Education financing in Morocco is primarily managed by the central government, with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports leading budget development and oversight. The Ministry of Economy and Finance releases funds through the national budget, approved by the parliament. Regional Academies of Education and Training (AREFs) implement education policies regionally under the central ministry’s supervision, managing funds and programmes with some delegated autonomy.
Funding follows annual national budget allocations from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Education, then to AREFs, which distribute resources to provincial directorates and schools. Morocco uses a programme-based budgeting system linking funds to education outcomes, as outlined in Framework Law 51.17. Teacher salaries are paid centrally by the Ministry, and regionally by Regional Academies of Education and Training (AREFs). International donors also supplement funding, particularly for reforms in preschool and rural education, but with a very small proportion of the total budget.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The main funding for subnational education comes from the annual budget transfer by the Ministry of Education to the Regional Academies of Education and Training (AREFs). Established in 2000 by Law No. 07-00, AREFs receive funds based on regional needs that are necessary to meet national priorities, taking also in account a strict per-student formula. Factors like dropout rates, territorial disparities, students and teacher numbers, rural isolation, infrastructure and human resource needs, access to quality early childhood education, basic learning needs, and social support influence how much funding each AREF gets and which projects are prioritised. Subsidies are determined according to a participatory approach involving the different levels of the education system, including the central administration, the Regional Academies of Education and Training (AREFs) and the provincial directorates. These indicators help guide the allocation of resources and prioritise interventions according to the specific characteristics and needs of each region.
A special fund was also established by the finance law to diversify the sources of funding for the education and training system and to improve its quality. This fund is financed through a partnership between the State, public institutions, and companies, as well as by contributions from the private sector and other partners.
2. Education resources to schools
The Ministry of National Education centrally allocates budgets to Regional Academies (AREFs), which then distribute funds to provincial directorates and schools based on plans, student numbers, and local needs. Each school creates a project-based budget aligned with its annual plan, covering operational needs like materials, repairs, and activities. Additional funding may come from community contributions and support associations. For example, the Ministry allocated funds to the Association for the Support of the School of Success for special school projects. This funding is often tied to school performance contracts and project needs. In recent reforms, like the Pioneer Schools, schools receive specific funding to improve environments, buy materials, conduct remedial and cultural activities, and supporting students in difficulty.
Since 2009, the state has also provided boarding facilitates and canteens to accommodate students in rural/disadvantaged locations. Instead of small, under-resourced "satellite" schools scattered across mountains, the state builds larger "Community Schools" in central rural hubs. These schools receive significantly higher investment per student in terms of infrastructure compared to standard rural schools. They are designed to compensate for the isolation of rural areas by aggregating resources. The government allocates a specific daily per-capita budget for food and accommodation.
Morocco’s Emergency Education Plan, launched in 2009 and discontinued in 2012, aimed to speed up reforms by ensuring compulsory schooling up to age 15 and reducing regional and social inequalities. It focused on disadvantaged schools through projects like expanding preschool in poor areas, improving infrastructure for remote and deteriorated schools, promoting gender equity, and providing boarding and canteens for rural students. Resource allocation was based on equity factors such as school remoteness, poor infrastructure, vulnerable populations, and dropout rates. Specific targeting mechanisms, such as school mapping and needs diagnostics, were used to guide the placement of schools, dormitories, and services. Though the original plan is no longer a standalone programme, its goals and equity focus have been integrated into Morocco’s broader education reforms, including the Education Sector Vision 2015-2030.
Riyadah Schools or Pioneer Schools Program (PEP)
In November 2022, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports launched the 2022-2026 Roadmap, a strategic plan aimed at transforming public schools into high-quality institutions. The Riyadah Schools or Pioneer Schools Program (PEP), launched in the 2023-2024 school year with a pilot phase of this reform and is planned to expand to all schools by the 2027-2028 school year. PEP aims at improving education quality and addressing the challenges facing Morocco’s educational system. The programme has two components: first, targeted remediation for grades 2 to 6 using the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach, implemented during a two-month period at the start of the 2023-24 school year, followed by weekly activities throughout the year; second, teacher and inspector training on structured pedagogy for grades 1 to 6, including scripted lesson plans and slide decks from the Ministry. Participating teachers receive a one-time bonus upon successful completion.
3. Education resources to students and families
The One “Million Schoolbags” Programme
The “One Million Schoolbags” initiative, launched in 2008, provided free school kits—including bags, textbooks, and stationery—to children in public primary and lower secondary schools, especially from low-income and rural families. Managed nationally by the Ministry of Education and distributed locally by AREFs and schools, the programme aimed to reduce education costs and promote attendance. It is a key part of Morocco’s ongoing strategy to ensure equitable access to education. The programme has been replaced by a new financial support scheme, the Back to School Allowance, that offers direct monetary assistance to families starting September 2024.
The Second Chance Schools
Second chance schools are managed by a Civil Society Association (NGO) selected through a call for proposals. The Ministry of Education provides a subsidy to the association to cover running costs. This is effectively a "conditional block grant" tied to a specific performance contract. The funding is often calculated based on the number of beneficiaries (students). This mechanism captures a specific segment of disadvantaged students that standard funding misses: dropouts and those not in education, employment, or training.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Tayssir Conditional Cash Transfer Programme
The Tayssir programme, launched in 2008 by Morocco's Ministry of Education and financed by the Social Protection and Social Cohesion Support Fund, provided cash transfers to students in rural areas with a poverty rate of 30% or higher, as per the 2004 census. Eligible households received monthly transfers based on the child's education level, ranging from MAD 60 for early primary to MAD 140 for middle school. School attendance was monitored: if a child missed more than four days in primary or six in middle school, the household forfeited the transfer for that month.
In 2024, the programme was discontinued and following the entry into force of Framework Law No. 09.21 on social protection through the Unified Social Registry (RSU), the cash transfer was integrated into direct social assistance (ASD). Eligible families (below a certain poverty threshold in the RSU) receive a monthly direct transfer to their bank account. To maintain the focus on education, the amount is higher if the child is in school.
The new Direct Social mechanism, which is gradually replacing the Tayssir program, is part of a comprehensive public policy launched as part of the broad reform of social protection, driven by the Royal High Guidelines and governed by Framework Law No. 09-21 on social protection. This program aims to encourage school enrollment and attendance, reduce school dropout rates, and alleviate poverty and its impact on children's educational attainment, particularly in vulnerable households. It is based on a renewed targeting policy, founded on the Unified Social Register (RSU), which guarantees a more accurate and equitable identification of beneficiaries according to transparent socio-economic criteria. The program is implemented through a unified system of direct cash transfers, managed by the relevant institutions, which allows for regular payments conditional on children's enrollment and attendance, while ensuring better governance, efficiency, and traceability of social assistance.
The scholarship program
The scholarship program, which succeeds the former Royal Initiative “One Million Schoolbags,” is part of the drive to modernize and streamline school support programs in Morocco, which is integrated into the new direct social support mechanism. The program aims to support students from vulnerable families by helping to cover school-related expenses, including the purchase of school supplies and the improvement of learning conditions. By shifting from material assistance in kind to direct financial assistance, the scholarship program is better adapted to the real needs of beneficiary households, while enhancing the effectiveness, transparency, and fairness of the support provided. It thus helps to encourage access to education, reduce educational inequalities, and prevent dropouts, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
The National Initiative for Human Development (INDH)
Launched in 2005, this comprehensive national programme aims at reducing poverty and social inequalities, with a strong focus on education equity. Over its phases, INDH has evolved to expand its educational interventions, particularly emphasizing access and quality for disadvantaged and rural populations. Activities include supporting school infrastructure (including boarding schools, social housing, and canteens), acquiring transport vehicles, providing early education to rural children, providing free tutoring, and combating school dropout. These efforts target structural barriers to schooling, such as remoteness, poverty, and gender disparities, aiming to foster inclusive, equitable educational opportunities.
5. School meal programmes
Since 1997, Morocco has fully managed and financed its school meal programmes after taking over from the UN World Food Programme. With the entry into force of direct social assistance (ASD), the distribution of snacks under the “Primary School Canteens Snack Programme” has been suspended since the 2023–2024 school year. At the same time, the “Boarding Schools and School Canteens” programme continues to provide full meals, including three meals per day for boarding lower and upper secondary students and lunch for beneficiaries of school canteens. In 2024, the government reviewed the mechanisms related to targeting beneficiaries of scholarships for boarding sections and school canteens in public education institutions, and strengthened the governance of the food service by adopting a delegated management system at the level of all regional academies of education and training, while increasing the amounts of scholarships for boarding sections and school canteens.
This profile was reviewed by Abdennasser Naji, Researcher and Expert in Education; and the Morocco Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports.
