English to expand across Moroccan education as language policy decree nears final approval

English is set to become a core instructional language across all levels of Morocco’s education system, under a draft decree that also mandates the gradual integration of Amazigh.

 The decree, now nearing adoption by the Government Council, details the implementation of Decree No. 2.21.448 on linguistic engineering, covering public and private education from preschool to university.

Despite advanced consultations, the Higher Council for Education and Training remains dissatisfied, arguing that its recommendations from July 2023 have been largely ignored. 

The legal affairs subcommittee of the national commission implementing Framework Law 51.17 resumed debate Tuesday, joined for the first time by private school representatives, who raised logistical concerns.

The most pressing obstacle is the acute shortage of trained Amazigh teachers, which casts doubt on the feasibility of beginning instruction at the first-grade level by the next academic year. This challenge affects both public and private sectors, undermining the decree’s goal of national linguistic inclusion.

The draft mandates Arabic, Amazigh, and French in primary education, with English or Spanish introduced optionally from grade five. Middle and secondary school curricula would deepen English instruction, both as a subject and medium for scientific and technical courses, while progressively generalizing Amazigh. Spanish may be added based on regional and institutional capacity.

Vocational training institutions will be required to offer programs in English alongside Arabic and French. Spanish will be offered optionally, with a focus on aligning language offerings with regional socio-economic needs. Higher education will permit program delivery in Arabic, French, English, and Spanish, while establishing academic tracks and research centers in both national and foreign languages.

Although the decree requires only cabinet approval to take effect, the Ministry of Education is still awaiting proposals from several departments before finalizing the text. Meanwhile, legal provisions remain largely unchanged from the version previously reviewed by the education council, reinforcing multilingual priorities without resolving implementation gaps.

The draft also emphasizes early multilingual exposure in preschool, calling for oral use of Arabic and Amazigh, and introduction to French or another foreign language.