Moroccan premier outlines before parliament new education charter
Morocco, Education, 3/4/2000

Moroccan Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi Friday explained before an extraordinary parliamentary session that the main objectives of the new education charter project are equal chances, a quality education and its adaptation to the job market.

Youssoufi stated that the law on compulsory education guarantees to all citizens the right of knowledge, in conformity with teachings of Islam, the Moroccan constitution and the children rights conventions ratified by Morocco. He expressed, in this regard, the government's commitment to guaranteeing a quality education to all children aged between 6 and 15 years.

He added that generalizing schooling will be the focus of the authorities' efforts that would also include support courses for children with learning difficulties.

Regarding language learning, he said the Arabic language should be promoted while languages used for technology and sciences learning should be diversified, adding that the teaching of Berber and all local dialects is provided for by the education reform project that includes the inception of research centers on Berber language and culture, manuals and curricula in Berber and the training of Berber teachers.

The government also committed to generalizing by 2004 registration in the first school grade, giving priority to rural areas. He said that beyond financial means, improving education requires a change in curricula, school manuals and teaching methods and the use of new technologies.

Regarding higher education, the prime minister explained that reforms revolve around autonomy, decentralized management, university democratization, associating students in management, the inception of a new scholarship system for needy and best students, student loans and enforcing health insurance.

He added that to secure jobs to graduates, the university will be more open to its environment, and vocational training will be encouraged.

He went on that fiscal incentives will be granted to private schools to increase their participation from a present 3% to 20% in the 2000-2009 decade, proclaimed by Morocco education decade.

The parliament's two chambers opened on March 1 an extraordinary session to examine a set of bills related to the draft education charter.

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