If you have moved to Morocco and you have children who are too young to attend an elementary school, you might need a nursery or daycare. Note that pre-primary education is compulsory and is easily accessible in Morocco, and open to children of all nationalities. Pre-primary schools in Morocco generally welcome children aged four to six. If your child is younger than four, you have the option of either daycare or looking for a nanny. Nannies can be a little challenging to find, although it is common practice, and they are a generally more affordable option. If you don't have any family relations living in Morocco, your best option is daycare. You can find decent and affordable daycares in most central neighbourhoods in major cities.
Finding a nanny in Morocco
Hiring a nanny is quite common in Morocco among working families. The best way to find one is probably word of mouth. Try asking friends with young children or neighbours. You can also search online and then interview potential candidates.
Finding a daycare in Morocco
There are many daycares in Morocco that take children from 0-3 years old. Some are attached to schools, which may give you an advantage in getting your child into that school. Some are smaller programs located around the city. A few things to consider when choosing a program might be location, hours, and type of care offered. Language will also be an important factor. Many Moroccan employees of daycares speak primarily Moroccan Arabic. Some parents consider this exposure to many languages to be an advantage, but others prefer to have children exposed only to one or two primary languages. There are also daycares where employees speak French or English to the children.
The educational system in Morocco
In Morocco, children aged between 4-6 years old can access pre-primary education. In kindergarten, your child will begin his socialisation and development by learning the alphabet, language, reading, arithmetic, games, and other activities. Moroccan schools teach Arabic and French, but there are also many French, American, British, Spanish, and international schools available where your child can have a similar education to the one available in your native country and still learn some Arabic. Your child will no doubt be a polyglot after a few years of schooling in Morocco.
Most public primary, middle and high schools in Morocco offer classes in Standard Arabic with one foreign language class (usually French), then two foreign languages classes starting high school (usually English, and sometimes Spanish, Italian or German). You can also choose to enrol your child in a private school where programs are more flexible, and you can find ones offering classes exclusively in French.
Childcare services and cost in Morocco
When it comes to your child's health, you'll find that products and services are accessible and affordable in most cities. You can get the necessary vaccines at almost any local hospital, clinic or health centre. For activities, you'll find that public parks and play areas for children are scarce and usually unequipped. But you'll find many organised in schools, daycares, some cultural centres and expatriate community clubs (in some cities like Casablanca, Rabat and Agadir). Vaccines are generally very cheap and accessible in Morocco (free in some provincial and regional hospitals and health centres). For daycares and pre-primary schools, expect the price to begin from 500-600 Dh per month, and at least 1500 Dh in better ones in central neighbourhoods.
We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.
