Pre-School Goes Private in Morocco

04/16/2004

Pre-School Goes Private in Morocco

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence." - Helen Keller

PRE-SCHOOL GOES PRIVATE IN MOROCCO

In 2000, Morocco passed a new law which leaves pre-school education for 4 and 5 year olds in the hands of the private sector. The government will focus its attention on regulations, training and pedagogical innovations. In UNESCO Policy Brief #20, Soo_Hyang Choi observes that "the new law is a clear sign of government support for pre-school education, and the policy of leaving the provision to the private sector can be a good strategy, considering that services can be delivered more effectively by actors close to the families and communities. However, complementary targeted measures of the government are needed to ensure poor children's access to quality services and to help parents, the ultimate regulators of the market, to demand quality services."

To view the entire Policy Brief, which includes an interview with El Hassan El Yazidi from the Ministry of Education, go to: http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29861&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

UNESCO is a member of the World Forum Alliance, which supports the development of the World Forum on Early Care and Education. For details on the 2005 World Forum in Montreal, Canada, go to www.worldforum2005.com/wf.

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