The values of peace and tolerance are enshrined in Moroccan school curricula, and are promoted in school textbooks during the multiple stages of learning. This was revealed in a recent international report by the London and Tel Aviv Institute for Research and Policy, which monitors peace and cultural tolerance in school education (IMPACT-se).
In its report, the Research Institute noted that ” Moroccan students discover all the divine religions during the advanced stages of study, and they also draw inspiration from the Koranic verses of the values of religious tolerance and acceptance of difference“.
The Moroccan Jewish community is highly regarded in local circles and also through textbooks for children and students, where it is considered ” an integral part of Morocco“, also finds the report, noting that the government’s efforts to “ preserve jewish heritage are highlighted.
Among the positive images the report highlights, “ a Jewish boy welcoming his Muslim friends for Shabbat dinner, a Jewish family welcoming guests to the Mimouna, a party organized by Moroccan Jews on the evening and the day after Passover, and a sixth-grade text presenting the House of Memory, a Jewish heritage museum located in Essaouira “.
The Institute for Research and Policy in London and Tel Aviv, which analyzes tolerance in education around the world, which deals with the growing topics of the acceptance of Jews in the Moroccan educational system, has likewise passed reviewed the textbooks of Moroccan students for a decade and stopped on important reforms since 2021, when the Jews became ” welcome in the circles of society“.
” We were blown away by this unique embrace of Jews and Judaism in the reformed Moroccan school curriculum, and it is a project of King Mohammed VI”said Marcus Schiff, executive director of the Institute for Peace Monitoring and Cultural Tolerance in School Education.
” The affection with which the Moroccan Jewish community and its customs are portrayed as well as the lives of individual Moroccan Jews is gratifying. We are welcomed into the homes of the Jewish community through textbooks and we know that Jews are woven into the national and cultural fabric of Morocco “, explains the same official.
And to add: Textbooks describe the history and culture of Jews and their contributions to Moroccan society (…) Jews are portrayed as sympathetic, and anti-Semitic stereotypes are avoided or undermined by positive traits such as generosity and loyalty to Morocco “.
It should be noted that the report assessed 127 textbooks published by the Ministry of Education between 2013 and 2022. It was compiled by IMPACT-se, a research and policy institute that analyzes school curricula around the world, in collaboration with the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation and its president, Oren Eisner.
The report recognizes that “ tolerance is one of the subjects that define Moroccan school curricula. The term appears frequently across levels and subjects and is included in various subjects, or taught as a stand-alone lesson “.