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As a specific driver for the transformation of education systems in Morocco, inclusive education is a process that aims to reduce the exclusion of children with disabilities. Indeed, few studies have analysed the exclusion factors that cause children with disabilities not to pursue their education. Based on this, the present paper explores the spatial effect of factors related to accessibility and school supply. The database is from the latest national survey of the 2014 General Census of Population and Housing for the 75 provinces of Morocco. The designated age group is children aged 10–14 years. Exploratory spatial analysis has allowed us to map the hotspots of school dropout risk. The results of the spatial heterogeneity show a deficit in the distribution of accessibilities and the supply of paramedical services. From economic policy, we emphasise the need for spatial equity in the geographic distribution of inclusive education provision. The equitable distribution of psychological conditions for school retention is a straightforward factor in the success of the inclusive education model in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on data from international surveys measuring learning (TIMSS), this article focuses on the analysis of the academic performance Moroccan students. The results of the econometric model show that the students' characteristics, their family environment and school context are key determinants of these performances. The study also shows that the Moroccan educational system is segmented: urban versus rural and public versus private. This double duality illustrates clearly that the Moroccan education system is a juxtaposition of a "categories" rather than a "unified" market.

Although the quantity of education is widely used to measure the economical and social performances of educative systems, only a few works have addressed the issue of equity in education. In this work, we have calculated two measures of inequality in education based on Barro and Lee's (2010) data: the Gini index of education and the standard deviation of schooling. The sample comprises 15 countries from the MENA region over the period 1950-2010. We used hierarchical clustering to control for the heterogeneity of the sample and identify the existence of cluster of similar value. We applied the Kuznets curve of education over the countries of the region. The findings show a decline in the Gini index within all the participating countries, for men and women and also for all age groups. The results also indicate that the education distribution was more unequal in the middle-income countries than in the higher-income countries in 2010, although they had almost the same level in 1970. The results suggested that the shape of the Kuznets curve depends basically on the measure used to approximate the inequality. Indeed, the Kuznets hypothesis is emphasized once we use the standard deviation of schooling. The Gini index, for its part, has maintained a significant negative relationship within the average number of years of the study.

The labor market can be a daunting place for young graduates; this paper aims to shed light on how they navigate it. By examining the ways in which they enter the workforce and the impact of individual and socioeconomic factors on their career paths, we gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face. We use a two-stage approach to study this issue: first, we create a typology of graduates' integration paths and then estimate the likelihood of following a specific trajectory through multinomial logit analysis. Our findings reveal a diverse range of professional journeys, with graduates from open-access institutions facing higher rates of unemployment and continuing their studies, and women experiencing more precarious situations. This study stands out in the literature in several ways. Unlike previous research on the topic, we develop an index of soft skills that incorporates multiple dimensions. Additionally, we use individual data from a regional survey conducted by ANAPEC, making this the first study of its kind for Morocco. The results of our study can inform our understanding of the importance of soft skills for youth employability and the need for training policies in a rapidly changing job market. In terms of employment policy, our findings on the intertwining of first-time and long-term unemployment among higher education graduates suggest the need for a comprehensive strategy that focuses on the organization of the initial integration phase. To achieve this, the efforts of Career Centers must be broadened, consolidated, and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a semi-arid/arid country located in the northwest of Africa, Morocco is facing serious water scarcity driven by the dual stresses of decreasing availability of water resources and increasing water demands. Virtual water trade could be an effective tool to alleviate water scarcity. The paper presents an analysis of the relationships between agrarian productions, foreign trade, and the water sector in Morocco by deriving a comprehensive estimate of virtual water export and import in Morocco's foreign trade of 40 crop products during the period from 2000 to 2017. Our objectives include determining the intensity of water consumption of exported and imported crop products and quantifying the water consumed and saved, respectively, by locally producing and importing these products. To this end, FAO's Penman-Monteith climate model was used to estimate crop water requirements based on data on meteorological factors. The results show that Morocco was a net virtual water importer during the study period. The deficit was 595.74 Gm3. The tendency of total virtual water export was on a rising trend, while the total virtual water import was on a downward trend. The main exported virtual water was from vegetables (68.87 Gm3, 72.47%) and the main imported virtual water was from cereals (679.68 Gm3, 98.4%). Regarding crop product's water intensity, we found that the exported crop products were excessively concentrated on water-intensive products such as mandarins and clementines, figs, oranges, apricots, plums, citrus fruits, olives, tomatoes, asparagus, peas, and artichokes. On the other hand, the agricultural policy of 2009–2020 increased the production of water-intensive products. This finding seems to be going against the virtual water trade theory, which states that water-poor countries should import water-intensive products and produce local products with lower water requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the higher education financing policy in Morocco in light of the central issue of equity. First, it surveys the current situation, using a critical approach to the present financing policy, and looking at the three dimensions of adequacy, efficiency, and equity. Second, it describes the principal policy challenges in financing higher education. Third, it presents several public policy proposals likely to bring changes to the financing policy in order to meet these challenges. The analysis shows that the sustainability and the equity of the current financing system are undermined by the dysfunctions introduced by the private/public split in the higher education system and the lack of a clear political strategy pertaining to the medium of instruction.

Purpose: This paper deals with the spatial impact of cooperative entrepreneurship on territorial human development in Morocco. Within the background of the new development model in Morocco, this study aims to explore how the social and solidarity economy (SSE) through the cooperative model can reduce territorial inequalities by promoting economic dynamics in territories with suboptimal human development. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical material is compiled from a database of 75 provinces in Morocco. After establishing a typology of the SSE in these territories, a test of the spatial effect of some indicators, such as the rate of urbanization and female employment, was undertaken. Moreover, a spatial impact study of the cooperatives' entrepreneurship and the local human development index will be carried out among the cooperatives' numbers and the share of their members. Findings: This study's results indicate a diversity in the participation of the SSE in the regulation of territories. First, there is a heterogeneous relationship in the Moroccan space. Then, the cooperative model in Morocco shows that it plays a central role in readjusting social and spatial inequalities, pointing territories with suboptimal human development. Research limitations/implications: Although our theoretical contribution covers the impact of the three components of the SSE on territorial human development in Morocco. The empirical work of this study is limited to only one component of the SSE which are the cooperatives. The future perspectives of this work are to follow the impact of the three components after the implementation of the new development model in Morocco. Practical implications: The main implication of this study is to map out the spatial role of cooperatives in territorial planning in Morocco. Policy makers still need to consolidate the implication of the cooperatives as a tool for promoting spatial equity, through the governance and the convergence between the different support and accompaniment programs for cooperatives in areas of human development deprivation. Originality/value: The originality of this work comes from the exploration of the spatial dimension for the analysis of the role of the cooperatives for the promotion of a territorial human development. The SSE typologies described in the Moroccan provinces can allow actors to develop a business plan for the implementation of SSE initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gender gap in education has been a significant concern for Moroccan policymakers and researchers, but the quantitative measurement of this gap has often been overlooked. This study specifically examines the gender gap in academic achievement in reading and mathematics at both the national and residential levels. The objective is to identify the factors that influence gender performance differences and their magnitude. To achieve this, micro-level data from 5427 students extracted from the PIRLS 2016 and TIMSS 2015 surveys were analyzed. The Blinder-Oaxaca (1973) decomposition technique was employed to assess the significance of the differences and to break down the performance gaps by incorporating explanatory variables related to schools, teachers, and students' characteristics. The results reveal a significant gender difference in favor of girls in reading, both nationally and in urban areas. In mathematics, the gender gap is not statistically significant and is approximately 3 points at the national level. Only 29% of the reading gap can be explained by the selected variables, while this percentage is around 20% for the math gap. Pre-school attendance, maternal education, schools, and schools' characteristics are identified as significant factors influencing the reading gap at the national and urban levels. In contrast, at the rural level, home conditions and the characteristics of the school and teacher play a more decisive role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study is to assess risk in the customs supply chain. A risk assessment model using a combination of the extended fuzzy (EF) analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method with criticality analysis is proposed. EFAHP may be used as an efficient method for determining the importance of risks in the assessment process, but it does not determine whether the risks are at an acceptable level based on their risk points. A risk assessment study was conducted on Moroccan customs, in which threats were determined based on experience. The past 10 years' statistical records were categorized, and each category was prioritized using the EFAHP method. EFAHP is a useful tool that considers the fuzziness of the data involved in determining the preferences for various decision variables. The fuzzy set theory gives a much better representation of the subjective judgments. Thus, it further refines the evaluation problem. The determined risks were also assessed based on criticality. The relation between the assessment of the risk class based on criticality and the fuzzy AHP weights was examined, and the risk class intervals for EFAHP were determined. In the study, an approach was developed based on the fact that the measure of the risk class in criticality risk assessment can be used with the obtained results, using the EFAHP method by comparing the obtained priority weights against the normalized scores of criticality. Therefore, the importance and classes of risks are determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After independence, Morocco had to face lots of challenges, including the building of an educational system that would respond to the needs of Moroccan society. Its commitment to achieve a high human development set Morocco on introducing a series of reforms. Despite the efforts made, Morocco is far from reaching the development goals of the third millennium. This is explained by several factors. The aim of this paper is to describe some essential aspects marking the quantitative evolution of the Moroccan educational system. We will present the evolution of the main educational indicators. The results show that much progress has been made and that much needs to be made if we compare Morocco with MENA countries. To achieve its goals, the educational system in Morocco needs a real will. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, Morocco has been undergoing a strong and fast water demand increase due to demographic upsurge, irrigated agriculture expansion, flourishing foreign trade and changing standard of living and lifestyles. The continued increase of water demand has imposed a height pressure over national scare water resources. Despite this worrying situation, the imperative of sustainable water use and management has created a need for compulsory information to define and implement economic and water-saving policies in an integrated and informed manner. This paper uses an input-output model of water use to analyse the relationships between economic sectors and water resources use in Morocco (i.e. direct water use) as well as the intersectoral water relationships (i.e. indirect water use). The results show that, on the one hand, Agriculture, hunting and forestry sector exhibits high direct water use. On the other hand, secondary and tertiary sectors display low direct use and high indirect water use. Typical examples of sectors with high indirect water use are manufacture of food and tobacco products and hotels and restaurants sectors. Further by means of the impact analysis, we have demonstrated that the economic sectors whose indirect water use coefficients are high have a significant influence on water resources by means of their 'drag effect' on water use of other sectors. The results highlight the added value of conducting an analysis of the intersectoral water relationships and suggest that it is important to take into account in the processes of policy definition not only the direct water use but also the indirect water use, because neglecting them could threaten our water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the spatial disparity and convergence of education in Morocco. We identify the type of autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity in the Moroccan education system, and test whether its performance converges due to one of these factors. Three types of education indicators (quantity, quality and inequality) are used in the study. Using multi-dimensional analysis, we build a summary indicator that provides us with an overview of the system. Our sample includes 61 Moroccan provinces, studied between 1994 and 2004. Using spatial econometric techniques, our results show that whichever the indicator used there is strong spatial disparity in education in Morocco. The results confirm the validity of the centre-periphery model used in the education sector. The results also confirm the hypothesis of β-convergence of the performance of the Moroccan education system. Consequently, the need for policies to reduce the unfair inequalities between different areas is apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is one of works trying to understand, and to assess the differences of children educational achievement by genre. In fact, this work tries to find answers of two sequential questions: can we accept the hypothesis, often allowed, which stipulates that boys are more performing than girls in science subjects? If yes, how to analyze a possible difference in terms of its determinants? In this regard, we'll try to explain the achievement differences between boys and girls in the 4th year of primary using TIMSS-2011's database. The applied methodology is the decomposition developed by Oaxaca and Blinder (1973), and generalized by Neumark (1988) and Oaxaca and Ransom (1988, 1994). Even if our results confirm that the girls are more performants than boys, the performance of the educational system and Moroccan is still very mediocre in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the higher education financing policy in Morocco in light of the central issue of equity. First, it surveys the current situation, using a critical approach to the present financing policy, and looking at the three dimensions of adequacy, efficiency, and equity. Second, it describes the principal policy challenges in financing higher education. Third, it presents several public policy proposals likely to bring changes to the financing policy in order to meet these challenges. The analysis shows that the sustainability and the equity of the current financing system are undermined by the dysfunctions introduced by the private/public split in the higher education system and the lack of a clear political strategy pertaining to the medium of instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addresses the challenges of job creation in a complex labor market in Morocco. Issue of graduate unemployment; Adoption of an employment policy to help graduates find work in the private sector; Structure of urban unemployment; Measures proposed for the state campaign against unemployment.