The issue of human development is a priority for the country, said Laftit, speaking at the opening of the second edition of the National Conference on Human Development, held under the patronage of HM King Mohammed VI.

Learning as a lever for the development of human capital is an issue that requires care and attention, especially from institutional stakeholders, families, civil society, elected councils, and the private sector, in order to improve the level of acquisition of basic knowledge by children, he said.

The choice of theme of this conference (the quality of learning, the key to human development) is based on the guidelines of Phase III of the INDH, including its program 4 aimed at boosting human capital, by facing directly and proactively the main obstacles to human development, the minister added.

The quality of learning is one of the major challenges for several countries given the deficits recorded, which some crises, especially health ones, have aggravated, he observed, adding that the national data for the academic year 2020/2021 support this finding, especially those related to school dropout rates and the extent of learning deficit for pupils under 10.

According to Laftit, this situation is mainly due to the lack of acquisition by learners of basic knowledge in reading, mathematics and science. This situation, he added, requires "to double our efforts to establish a national educational model that can meet the current and future challenges and ensure quality, equitable and sustainable education for all Moroccan pupils, especially in rural and remote areas."

Despite the strong support of the INDH for the considerable efforts made by the Department of National Education and Preschool in order to raise the level of learning, "the reality remains marked by a tangible deficit in the field, which negatively affects the indicators of human development in our country," he said.