The political instrumentalisation of an educational model in a colonial context: Spanish-Arab schools in Spanish Morocco (1912–1956)
The establishment of the Spanish Protectorate in Northern Morocco between 1912 and 1956 brought with it the need for Spain to create a colonial policy. Education was just one of the instruments put at the service of colonisation in the policy of territorial control. Spain implemented a colonial school model made up of Spanish schools, Spanish-Arab schools and Spanish-Jewish schools designed to educate the Moroccan and Spanish populations living in the area. Since education was considered a priority by the Spanish colonisers, they promoted Spanish-Arab schools as a key part of their colonial policy. The schools created for Moroccans by the Spaniards united tradition – the Arabic language and Muslim religion – with modernity, since the schools did not adhere to traditional Koranic education, but rather followed the teaching models and principles of the schools in Spain at the time, marking a turning point in education in Northern Morocco. The end goal was to instruct the population according to a pro-Spanis...