UNDP supports rural schools in Morocco
Morocco, Education, 2/21/2002

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has joined the Moroccan agriculture ministry, health ministry and the BMCE foundation in a drive to promote schools in rural areas.

Under agreements signed on Wednesday, the UNDP will cooperate with the Moroccan government and the BMCE foundation to increase the number of schools in the countryside. The BMCE foundation is conducting an important program of rural schools in various regions. A total of 50 schools have already been built and more than 100 ones will be operational by 2002-2003 academic year.

The initiative is supported by the agriculture ministry which will bring its know how and technical assistance to the project by raising people's awareness on the usefulness of sending children to schools, holding agricultural popularization actions for children and adults and identifying priority sites for rural schools.

The UNDP, for its part, will bring its support and expertise through various programs meant to fight poverty and develop rural communities. The UNDP will also set forth an approach based on integrated rural development by promoting the involvement of communities and lasting agriculture.

Meanwhile, the health ministry will take action to improve health conditions in the schools through an education and awareness program for the rural schools pupils and by conducting medical visits.

The Moroccan government has pledged to generalize schooling among children aged between 6 and 15 and to take moves to fight illiteracy.

For the UNDP resident-representative in Morocco, Bouna Semou Diouf, said the rural community schools will be serving as centers of local development, as schools staff will be recruited from local inhabitants, and integrated programs of training and community development will be set in motion both for teenagers and adults living in these areas.

Previous Stories:
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  Moroccan Teachers' Strike Successful, Union Says   (11/14/2001)
  Morocco's Higher Education Minister Visits Teheran   (11/12/2001)

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