New initiatives boost higher education in Morocco

30/09/2007

The number of people enrolling in Morocco's institutions of higher learning is on the rise, benefitting from programmes to encourage students and to lessen their financial burdens.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 30/09/2007

[Sarah Touahri] Students will be able to take out loans thanks to the creation of the Central Guarantee Fund.

The number of university students in Morocco is up 8% year-on-year, with 289,000 students enrolled in higher education courses for the academic year 2007-2008 compared with 267,000 the previous year. The students attend a wide variety of universities, schools of higher education and technical colleges. Some 90,000 new baccalaureate holders opted to enrol in universities this year.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Scientific Research says the 2007-2008 academic year is seeing a number of new initiatives aimed at boosting higher education. The main focus is on building up infrastructure, with a new university in Beni Mellal and four new higher education institutions: two business and management schools in Fez and Mohammedia, a higher institute of technology in Berrechid and a school of engineering in Khouribga.

Another new feature is an increase in the number of courses, 47% of which are vocational. These include courses in social work run jointly by the Ministry of Social Development and the State Secretariat for Vocational Training. The number of places in medical schools has been increased by 66% over last year in an attempt to reach a training target of 3,300 doctors per year by 2020.

University professor Taoufik Guerradi told Magharebia that officials plan to raise standards in higher education to address the needs of the labour market with regard to social and economic affairs. "Take the teaching of economics, for example. Previously, private schools used to corner the market on specialist administration, management and marketing courses. Now, however, universities are offering courses in these areas and are competing with the private sector," he said.

Measures being taken to improve social and cultural facilities for students include efforts to expand the capacity of university residence halls as part of the process of opening up the sector to private operators. Two construction projects are underway to alleviate the shortage of student accommodation. The number of students receiving grants will also rise by 5.5% this year.

Another key measure this year is the creation by the Central Guarantee Fund under a programme called Education Plus to underwrite bank loans given to students enrolled in private institutions and schools of higher education to fund part or all of their enrolment and tuition fees. In the past it has been nearly impossible for students to get funding from banks or loans for higher education. The director of training and higher education, Abdelhafid Debbagh, says that this innovation is part of the framework agreement signed on May 8th by the government and representatives of private academic and training institutions to open up access to student loans. All the country’s banks have a stake in the new fund. Loans, which must not exceed 100,000 dirhams ($12,500), can only go towards enrolment and/or tuition fees charged by private-sector institutes or schools of higher education.