ABSTRACT
To understand the significance of the Moroccan schools discussed in this chapter, it is important, even necessary, to know and “feel” something of the context in which they function. Morocco and Chefchouan, a small town in the north of Morocco, constitute the social and cultural milieu in which these particular Qur’anic preschools function. Both are described briefly below, with more attention paid to the more immediate community of Chefchouan. The historical background on Morocco that has been included uses the colonial period as a starting point, since this was the period that saw a new form of schooling introduced into the country, one that forever changed the traditional schools that had been the major source of instruction for children.
