The UK’s growing partnership with Morocco on English language education marks a “really exciting” phase in bilateral cooperation, according to British Ambassador Simon Martin, who highlighted in an interview with Hespress EN, the joint ambition to scale access and quality in public schools.
The ambassador said the UK had been asked by Morocco’s Ministry of National Education, specifically through the British Council, to support the expansion of English teaching and instruction in English across public schools.
The announcement comes on the heels of UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s recent visit to Morocco, during which both countries agreed to deepen cooperation in education, scientific research, and innovation.
The UK welcomed Morocco’s automatic recognition of UK higher education qualifications and its intention to facilitate the establishment of British university campuses in the country.
In turn, Morocco committed to match-fund the UK’s annual investment in British Council-led English teacher training programmes and formally recognized the UK as a key partner in expanding English language education.
“It’s a sign of how respected the British Council is in this field,” said Martin, pointing to a successful pilot launched two years ago that trained nearly 90 secondary school teachers through pre-service programs aimed at strengthening their English before they entered classrooms.
Following its success, the initiative expanded to 200 teachers last year. “This has now been so appreciated that the Ministry of Education has agreed to co-fund it,” Martin revealed.
The plan now is to to able to scale that up further. With more teachers entering the profession and engaging in ongoing learning, Martin said Morocco is poised to see “subjects other than English itself being taught in English”—a shift he believes will open new educational and professional doors for Moroccan students.
The move is driven, he noted, by strong demand from Moroccan youth. “More and more of our young Moroccan friends are looking to speak English, to know English. They see it as a means of accessing more online content—but also as the language of international business.”
This educational pivot coincides with a growing British presence in Morocco’s school system. Since the ambassador took office, the number of UK-accredited schools in the country has more than doubled, from three to eight, with more expected.
“This will allow greater access to English-language education for the broader Moroccan population—not just those in private schools,” he said.
Higher education is also on the horizon. During the UK Foreign Secretary’s recent visit, a new agreement was signed with Morocco’s Ministry of Higher Education to facilitate the establishment of more British university campuses in the country.
“This means a wider opportunity to pursue an international university education without even leaving Morocco, unless you choose to,” Martin said, noting that existing British universities in Morocco already allow students to split their studies between both countries.
This latest momentum also builds on the 2023 UK-Morocco Higher Education Commission, where both governments, universities, and education bodies laid the groundwork for deeper cooperation in English language assessment, joint research, and transnational education.
The meeting saw a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the British Council in Morocco and Morocco’s Ministry of Higher Education.
The agreement aims to increase the uptake of English language assessment in Moroccan public universities and marks a new step in strengthening institutional partnerships in transnational education and research.
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