Higher education in North Africa: comparative evolution of Algeria and Morocco

ABSTRACT

The Maghreb countries share a similar demographic profile: around 40% of the population is under twenty-five years of age. The recent upsurge in the birth rate also implies, in the medium term, a large and lasting proportion of young people being in post-school phase and at the point of entry into working life. Considering these structural similarities, is the evolution of higher education going the same path among countries of North Africa? This article explores this question by examining detailed statistics for Algeria and Morocco. They reveal that the two countries have made different university policy choices, but that they are both affected by comparable transformations: the massification and feminisation of their enrolments; a relative emergence of the private sector, occurring recently but at different times; and substantial investments to generalise access for young people to university education, which is considered essential for development. These observations lead to a regional perspective with a prospective vision. A projection of recent trends over the coming decades, linked to demographic forecasts, is proposed. This exercise proves to be highly instructive in assessing the challenges that the situation poses to policymakers.

KEYWORDS:

• Higher education
• Algeria
• Morocco
• massification
• feminisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Gross enrolment ratio in tertiary education, UNESCO-UIS figures 2018.

2 See the official statistics on unemployment rates according to the level of diploma in Morocco for 2021: https://www.hcp.ma/Taux-de-chomage-national-selon-le-diplome_a267.html For instance during the 2021 s trimester, the unemployment rate for graduates was of 25.3% against 5% for workers with no diploma.

3 Statistical Yearbooks, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Algeria; https://www.mesrs.dz/accueil University Statistics, Ministry of National Education, Professional Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research of Morocco. https://www.enssup.gov.ma/fr/Statistiques.html

4 https://www.enssup.gov.ma/fr/Page/458-partenariat-public-priv%C3%A9.html

5 For example: Djamal Mimouni, "Is the Algerian University in decay? Un difficile état des lieux', El Watan, 10 July 2019

6 On the scarcity of phd graduates with regard to student population and local research, see Christoffels 2019 and Jowi 2021

7 See Journal of Higher Education in Africa, vol 16, no 1 and 2, 2018

8 http://data.uis.unesco.org/#

9 For comparison, this investment is almost equivalent to that of the European Union countries in the middle of the decade (OECD 2019).

10 These often modest scholarships are accompanied by other aids such as transport, catering and health, which are often free or almost free and have not been increased for decades.

11 Private higher education in figures, 2016–2017 https://www.enssup.gov.ma/fr/Statistiques/3735-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85-