Although Morocco is making considerable strides to boost the teaching of English at its educational institutions–an important step toward facilitating its proficiency on a more widespread basis–the findings of an international study show that the country is still far away from acquiring the competencies required for a respectable world ranking.
According to a recent study by the Swiss organization “Education First” on English proficiency indices worldwide, Morocco ranks 76th out of 113 countries assessed, scoring 478 points and revealing a “low” level of English proficiency in the nation.
At the continental level, Morocco ranked ninth out of the 23 countries in the study, preceded by Ethiopia and followed by Algeria.
The Rabat-Sale-Kenitra area came out on top in terms of regional English language proficiency with a score of 490, followed by Casablanca-Settat at 487. The Draa-Tafilalet district came in last at 428.
As far as Moroccan cities are concerned, Rabat leads the pack in English proficiency at 506, followed by El Jadida at 497 and Oujda with 493.
The study points out that young people aged 21-25 comprise the age group with the best command of English in Morocco. In a gender comparison, the study showed that in the last two years, men have been able to slightly outperform women in English language acquisition, with a score of 485 versus 471.
On a global scale, the Netherlands is in first place with 647 points, followed by Singapore at 631, and Austria at 616, while the Republic of Congo came in dead last with a total score of 385.
In a related development, in an effort to increase the learning of Shakespeare’s language in Morocco, the Ministry of Education decided last May to implement compulsory English teaching at all levels of middle school, starting with the 2023-2024 school year.
For the 2024-2025 school year, coverage will encompass 50% for students in their first year of middle school and 100% for those in their second year. For the ensuing 2025-2026 school year, coverage rates should total a full 100% for all levels of middle school.