A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF POLICIES TO FIGHT ILLITERACY AND SCHOOL DROPOUT IN RURAL MOROCCO

Why, despite enormous efforts to reduce illiteracy and dropout rates in Morocco, are rural populations the most affected by these two scourges? The dominant explanation is the limited provision of education and literacy in rural areas. Previous studies in the fields of sociology of education and educational policy management have analyzed the problems of illiteracy and school dropout separately. These studies have not been comprehensive enough to explain the complex relationships between illiteracy, school dropout and the new dynamics of rural areas. Thus, this article aims to analyze the national strategies for education and literacy in rural areas in Morocco, and to show their limitations, in terms of quantitative and qualitative achievements. We believe that actions to combat illiteracy and school dropout, particularly in rural areas, must be comprehensive and more integrated. This is why we propose some improvements for the success of the national framework of intervention in education and literacy.