French lycées in Morocco: Competing social groups and school Choices

• In Event: Education, Social Class and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa

Proposal

Over the past few decades, dynamics such as the policy of Arabization in primary and secondary education and the expansion of the school system have prompted upper-class Moroccan families to disengage from public schools, constructing exclusive social environments in other educational institutions. French lycées in Morocco, bolstered by historical and cultural ties to France, have become a preferred destination for these families. However, the increasing availability of foreign schools and degree inflation have caused student numbers to rise, exacerbating social divisions within the upper-middle class attending these institutions.
Drawing on Agnès van Zanten’s (2010) work on school choices and inequalities in France, this research identifies two distinct groups among parents whose children attend French lycées in Morocco. On one hand, the “technocrats,” primarily composed of corporate executives and engineers, are characterized by higher economic capital. On the other hand, the “intellectuals,” including public sector professionals and liberal professions, place greater value on cultural capital, particularly knowledge for its own sake. These groups are differentiated not only by the volume of their economic resources but also by their relationship to knowledge and academic success.
This study aims to examine the differentiated educational strategies between these two groups, as well as the tensions that arise within the school environment. In particular, it seeks to analyze how these distinct, sometimes contradictory, worlds of reference influence choices in curriculum, perspectives on higher education, and positions regarding the teaching of Arabic and religion. The role of educational actors in managing these tensions, often navigating contradictory directives, is also central to this research.
Ethnographic fieldwork is the main method employed in this study, allowing for an in-depth understanding of the complex daily interactions among the actors in these schools. Non-participant observations were conducted in three French lycées in Morocco, complemented by 29 semi-structured interviews carried out during the 2023-2024 school year. These data provide insight into differentiated practices and discourses, offering a glimpse into the social stratification dynamics within the upper-middle class in the context of globalization and the transnationalization of education.
By intersecting these perspectives, this study contributes to broader reflections on the challenges of transnational education and its impact on social hierarchies in Morocco. It explores how, beyond national borders, upper-middle-class families participate in reshaping social distinctions through educational strategies that reflect complex and shifting power relations.

Author

• Adam Benyachou