Nearly 265,000 students left school in Morocco during the 2025–2026 academic year. And according to newly released government figures, only about one in five made it back into an educational or vocational programme.
The numbers were presented by Morocco’s Ministry of National Education during discussions in Parliament, revealing the scale of a problem that continues to affect thousands of young people.
Of the 264,889 students who dropped out, 56,114 were reintegrated, representing approximately 21%.
That leaves 208,775 students who were not recorded as having returned through the programmes included in the ministry’s report.
But the figures reveal more than the number of students leaving school.
Middle school is where the largest proportion of dropouts occurs, accounting for 55% of cases. Primary schools represent 23%, while upper secondary schools account for the remaining 22%.
The problem also affects rural communities disproportionately: 51% of students who left school came from rural areas. Boys represented 62% of all dropouts.
And not everyone leaves school in the same way.
Half of the recorded students stopped attending during the academic year, while 43% did not enrol again the following year. Another 7% were excluded.
Among those reintegrated, most entered vocational training rather than returning to conventional classrooms.
The figures arrive as Morocco’s education system welcomes approximately 9.22 million students for the new academic year, with 83% attending public institutions.
They also raise questions about the challenges facing schools, from overcrowded classrooms to the difficulties students encounter outside education.
Because leaving school doesn’t always mean someone has stopped wanting to learn.
For many young people, family responsibilities, financial circumstances, distance and limited support can make continuing their education increasingly difficult.
The government’s figures do not explain the individual reasons behind every departure, but they highlight an important challenge: getting students into school is only part of the equation. Keeping them there matters too.
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