King Chairs Presentation on Schooling Program, Education Reform

King Mohammed VI, accompanied by his son and Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and his daughter Princess Lalla Khadija, chaired Monday at the Royal Palace in Rabat, a ceremony during which Minister of Education made a presentation on the progress made in implementing the reform of education and training and the program devoted to backing schooling.

This ceremony came few weeks after the royal speech of August 20, during which the king called for a major overhaul of the education system and for ensuring a better balance between training and employment in order to reduce the rate of joblessness, notably among young people, as one young person out of four is on the dole.

This new program, which takes into account the recommendations of the “Strategic Vision of the 2015-2030 reform: for a school of equity, quality and promotion”, shows the paramount importance of the sector of education and training for future generations as well as the special interest the King attaches to the reform of this vital sector and his resolve to guarantee adequate conditions for its success.

This new educational program should give “a strong impetus to the social programs, meant to fight all the socioeconomic impediments to schooling and to reduce financial pressures on families,” said the Minister of Education Saïd Amzazi.

The official announced, among other measures, the consolidation of the “Tayssir” program granting conditional financial support to needy families to encourage them send their kids to school, the implementation of the program of generalization and development of preschool education, the strengthening of the accommodation, catering and school transportation services, and the improvement of social benefits for higher education students.

“The implementation of these social programs is likely to contribute to improving the level of schooling of beneficiaries and reducing the rate of school dropout from 5.7% currently in primary school in rural areas to 1% in the 2024-2025 school year and from the current 12% in secondary schools in rural and urban areas to 3% by the 2024-2025 school year,” said the Education Minister.

The program also includes several measures aimed at ensuring a better balance between training and employment, in particular the diversification of the educational offer and its adaptation to the needs of the labor market and the implementation of a new conception for open access to university institutions.

Likewise, the program provides for the institutionalization and consolidation of refreshing courses and training, the creation of a new generation of vocational training centers to meet the needs of businesses and regions, the improvement of youth employment support programs and the introduction of a new efficient system of school, vocational and university counselling.

The ceremony was marked by the signing of three partnership agreements related to the extension and development of the Tayssir program, boarding schools and school canteens; the creation of two vocational training centers for health care professions in Rabat and Casablanca; and the creation of integrated “sport-study” school streams and vocational training and higher education programs for the benefit of athletes.