Abstract

SCHLEMMER, B.. When school is an option : relationships to school and relationships to knowledge in Morocco . Anál. Social [online]. 2005, n.176, pp.547-562. ISSN 0003-2573.

In wealthy countries, there is no option not to send children to school. The same is not true for poor countries, where there are frequent debates about the usefulness of school and even as to its legitimacy. In this article I examine this connection to knowledge gained at school, based on the Moroccan case. After a historical summary, I show how the connection to school has developed, based on research on the field, which was undertaken in the Medina, suburb of Fez. The study shows that a significant number of those who did not go through the school system achieved social and occupational status in the same way that many of their schooled contemporaries did. One key factor stands out: in their relationship to schooling, the people of Morocco draw on the local systems of learning for the points of reference. What lessons can we draw from a situation where school is nothing more than an option? Is it a matter of mere survival? Or does it foreshadow general changes which are already taking place?

Keywords : Saberes escolares; Escolarização; Política educativa; Marrocos.

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