The Moroccan Ministry of Education is implementing a policy that mandates private schools to allocate 15% of their capacity for free education to children from low-income families, individuals with disabilities, and those in special circumstances, starting from the 2026/2025 school year.
This initiative is part of the Ministry’s effort to enforce provisions of Framework Law No. 17.51 related to “positive discrimination” and to ensure equal opportunities. According to the project decree, the allocation for free education will be divided as follows: 30% for children from low-income families, 30% for individuals with disabilities, and 40% for those in special social situations, with the possibility of adjusting these percentages based on local needs.
The project exempts private educational institutions that utilize less than 50% of their capacity. Other institutions will be required to submit beneficiary lists to the Ministry.
The Ministry asserts that this initiative aims to reinforce solidarity within the educational system and emphasizes that the implementation of the decree will occur gradually, ensuring that the quality of education and the stability of institutions are maintained.
This project reflects the government’s intent to reform the relationship between the public and private sectors in education through a framework centered on “social justice.”
However, associations representing private education in Morocco have expressed their opposition to this initiative, arguing that enforcing such free percentages undermines investment freedom and threatens the financial stability of many educational institutions, particularly smaller ones.
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