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Gendered Impacts of Colonial Education: the Role of Access and Norms Transmission in French Morocco

Author

Listed:
  • Amélie Allegre

    (School of Economics, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom)

  • Oana Borcan

    (School of Economics, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom)

  • Christa Brunnschweiler

    (Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

We examine colonial-era primary education as a determinant of modern-day attainment and gender disparities in education. We construct a novel dataset from the French Protectorate in Morocco, combining archival data on colonial school locations in 1931 and 1954 with the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data in arbitrary grids. We analyse the influence of colonial schools on the probability of attaining primary and secondary education in 2004. Overall, schools dedicated to Moroccans in 1931 exhibit a persistent positive impact on education outcomes, but only in the absence of nearby schools reserved for Europeans. Stark gender gaps in access during the Protectorate were narrowed in places with schools for Jewish Moroccans. These had a positive impact on girls’ contemporary levels of education, but a negative impact on the enrolment for boys following the dismantling of Jewish communities after 1948. DHS measures of preferences for female education point to a social norms transmission mechanism between Jewish and Muslim Moroccan communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Amélie Allegre & Oana Borcan & Christa Brunnschweiler, 2025. "Gendered Impacts of Colonial Education: the Role of Access and Norms Transmission in French Morocco," Working Paper Series 20225, Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
    • Handle: RePEc:nst:samfok:20225
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    File URL: http://www.svt.ntnu.no/iso/WP/2025/2_25.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; colonial legacy; female education; Morocco; French Protectorate;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N37 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Africa; Oceania
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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