Marokkos Bildungssektor braucht eine Generalüberholung. Darüber waren sich die Experten einer Bildungskonferenz in Settat einig.
Morocco education in crisis, experts warn
Morocco's education sector needs a major overhaul, students, professors and
experts agreed last week-end in Settat.
National and international
studies and reports reveal how catastrophic the situation has become, education
inspector Rachid Alaoui told participants at a conference held Saturday (June
5th) at the University Hassan I.
One reason for the failure of
educational reforms was the emergency plan that ended in 2012, Alaoui noted.
Extending the project until 2016 would cost the kingdom 25% of its general
budget, he said.
Morocco's low ranking in terms of university access, the
high rate of drop-outs, and the mounting costs of schooling are
education-related indicators that sociology professor Abdellatif Kedai at
Mohammed V University has been monitoring.
In his remarks to the meeting,
Kedai focused on the many challenges for educators. He noted the new issues
facing Moroccan schools today, such as the rise in cheating, violence and
drugs.
Students have changed their habits, he pointed out. Young people
who once read books now spend their time online.
Poor administration of
the education file has also contributed to the deterioration of schools and led
teachers to abandon their mission, the professor added.
According to
National Teaching Union (SNE) head Abdelaziz Ioui, reforms have been a
failure.
He called for banning tutoring sessions because they "represent
a drain [of resources] and an illegal competition against public
schools".
Education has always been a political and ideological bet for
various political actors, the SNE chief noted.
Reform attempts have
failed thus far because they have been subjected to political calculations,
other attendees agreed.
Said Asil, an assistant university professor,
called for a review of professional exam procedures, attention to scientific
criteria and an end to direct appointments.
Experts at the Settat meeting
also backed the idea of reforming the sector in order to improve the financial,
moral and professional conditions of educators.
Recommendations made at
the event will be submitted to the Higher Council of Education, said Amina
Noukairi of the Moroccan Centre for Youth and Democratic
Transitions.
This is part of an advocacy process that the centre will
take on with all actors in Morocco's educational system, she said.
Her
organisation organised the meeting, along with the Moroccan Centre for Civic
Education and the Laboratory for Studies and Research on Public Policies.