As in many parts of the Muslim world, traditional Islamic schooling1 in Morocco predates a crucial historical role in the training of the nation's youth and continues to reach a higher percentage of school-age children than has the modern school system. Although such traditional Quranic schooling may have touched the lives of most Moroccans, its impact — relative to the modern school system — is not yet fully understood. Probably the most difficult aspect of analyzing the impact of Quranic schools, and there are a number of levels of analysis upon which such education may be observed and discussed. Any discussion of the consequences of traditional Quranic schooling will, therefore, depend on the adequate understanding of the varieties of this type of traditional education.