School as a Sorting Machine
Education is often presented as the most powerful instrument of social mobility, a neutral arena where merit prevails over origin. In Morocco, as in many postcolonial societies, schooling is officially framed as a republican promise: equal opportunity for all citizens regardless of class, geography, or family background. Yet, behind this discourse lies a deeply stratified educational system that systematically disadvantages students from poor, rural, and working-class backgrounds. Rather than correcting social inequalities, the Moroccan education system frequently reproduces and legitimizes them. This discrimination has severe social, economic, and political consequences, and it raises an urgent question: how can Morocco move toward a genuinely egalitarian educational system?
Comments (5)
I read the book when I was 10 too! I agree with everything about this critique!
I remember loving this book! Great critique ❤️
So did it scare you as a 10 year old. How bad was it. Now I have to read it. Dharrsheena tends to rub off on you.
Death? Controversial themes? I'm itching to get my hands on this book! Excellent review!
Oh this story also changed me, I still think about it often. I feel the exact same way about this book. Have you read the companion books? They're very different, they have very similar nostalgic feelings for me.