Spanish left wing pushes to add Spain’s colonial past in Morocco to school history lessons

Spain’s left-wing platform Sumar is calling for Spain’s colonial presence in Morocco to be officially added to Secondary and Baccalaureate history classes, arguing that the topic has been missing for far too long.

For Sumar, this isn’t only about improving education. They say the move is needed to push back against the rise of racist narratives targeting Maghrebi communities, especially those amplified by the far right. 

According to the party, teaching what actually happened during the Spanish Protectorate in northern Morocco would give young people clearer historical context and help them identify political manipulation wrapped in selective or distorted history.

According to the party, when students don’t learn how Spain acted beyond its borders, it becomes easier for extremist groups to rewrite the past and weaponize it in the present. 

Sumar believes that acknowledging Spain’s colonial actions, its policies, conflicts, and long-term impact on Moroccan regions, would create a more informed generation less vulnerable to xenophobic messaging.

The proposal also touches on a long-standing criticism from historians, who have repeatedly noted that Spain’s education system barely addresses its colonial history in North Africa. 

While chapters on the Civil War and dictatorship appear in detail, Spain’s role in Morocco is often reduced to brief mentions or optional content that many classrooms never reach.

Sumar says this silence leaves a gap that needs to be fixed, especially at a time when migration, identity, and integration dominate political debates. 

Including this material in the curriculum, the party says, would help students better understand the shared history that links Spain and Morocco, two countries whose social and cultural ties continue to grow.

The party has urged the Ministry of Education to update the national curriculum and introduce a clear, critical look at Spain’s colonial presence in Morocco. 

For Sumar, teaching this chapter is not about reopening old wounds but giving students the tools to recognize how the past still shapes public debates today.