Morocco’s human-centered developmental process is “committed to transforming” the country’s schools, Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Morocco François Reybet-Degat said on Wednesday.
Commenting on Morocco’s 2022-2026 roadmap for education reform, Reybet-Degat explained how he sees the strategy would contribute to the “success” of the public schooling enterprise in the country.
“While like all other countries in the world, the Kingdom of Morocco is facing challenges in terms of quality and equity of education, the United Nations in Morocco welcomes the translation of Morocco's ambitious commitments in the new Roadmap (2022-2026),” Reybet-Degat said in a statement reported by Moroccan state press agency.
The 2022-2026 roadmap covers three areas of interest and lists 12 specific commitments. The new reform aims to improve governance, boost the level of engagement of the different stakeholders in the reform process, and rethink the sector’s funding.
Noting the UN’s efforts to support education reforms in Morocco, Reybet-Degat explained that “the UN Development System in Morocco is determined to accompany and support the Kingdom in the implementation of this ambitious and necessary reform, guaranteeing the emergence of a shared and inclusive prosperity for all, leaving no one behind.”
Education reforms have been high on the agenda of all Moroccan governments in recent history. However, little progress has been made.
Aside from increasing the number of children attending schools every year, government policies have done little to address the systemic deficiencies in the sector.
Reports diagnosing Morocco’s education all indicate that while the country is making moderate progress, the system continues to fail the country’s most vulnerable population. World Bank data shows that an average of 64% of Moroccan children aged 10 cannot read and comprehend a simple text.
One study even suggests that an overwhelming majority of school children in Moroccan secondary schools “do not deserve to pass.”
Morocco’s 2021 New Development Model propositions that supporting human capital is the backbone of future socio-economic development. The sub-optimal state of Morocco’s education sector can only mean that the country has a long way to go before it can reach any significant milestones in human development.