Who counts? Information capacity and the origins of education inequality in Morocco

Abstract Education drives economic growth. However, many developing countries are characterized by high variation in local education outcomes. This article argues that the expansion of public education in former colonies was shaped by the relative inclusivity of civil registration under colonialism, which determined local information capacity of the state at independence. Where information was low, governments were less likely to build schools, and enforcing policies such as compulsory education was more difficult. These theoretical claims are tested in Morocco, a lower–middle‐income country and former French colony characterized by stark variation in local education outcomes.