Over 8,000 classrooms created over last 2 years, minister

Education minister, Habib El Malki, said the number of classrooms created over the last two academic years amount to 8,500.

However, he said, despite all his department's efforts to meet infrastructure needs, some regions are still under-equipped.

Speaking at the House of Representatives (parliament lower chamber) question time, El Malki explained this situation by the boom in the populations of big agglomerations' outskirts, mainly because of rural exodus.

He also evoked his department's "limited budget" in terms of investments and the non respect by some companies of the deadlines set for the delivery of building material.

The minister went on that 26 new high schools, with 177 classrooms, are included in the 2004 budget.

El Malki added the education ministry plans to build more accommodation structures for teachers in remote areas, currently numbered at some 16,000, covering up to 70% of needs in rural areas.