Reforming education "should be formulated as a national binding contract-based policy, by means of a framework law that sets out the long-term vision and puts an end to the vicious circle of reform for reform's sake", said the Sovereign at the throne day speech, delivered on the occasion of the 16th throne day.
After calling all stakeholders "to embrace it and be actively involved in its implementation", HM the King stressed that "the future of the nation depends on the quality of education we provide for our children".
The sovereign who has repeatedly advocated "a deep reform of this vital sector", said that Moroccans are looking for an education system "based on open-mindedness, critical analysis and foreign language acquisition which will enable their children to access the job market and start their professional life".
Despite allegations, I do not think that foreign languages and cultures will undermine our national identity, but rather enrich it, argued HM the King who pointed out that "Moroccan identity, thank God, is deeply-rooted and diversified, with both European and African components" and that the "constitution voted by Moroccans advocated the learning and mastering of foreign languages".
Accordingly, went on HM the King, "the education reform must be aimed primarily at enabling students to acquire knowledge, skills and national and foreign languages, particularly in scientific and technical curricula, in order to be active members of society", highlighting the importance of vocational training that "has become the cornerstone of all development sectors".
"The expected reform should also rid society of the narrow view that the baccalaureate certificate is a matter of life and death for students and their families, and that without it their future may be compromised", explained the Sovereign who called for changing this negative perception of some people who believe that vocational training courses is "belittling and only fit for inferior jobs" or "a solution for those who fail in their academic studies".
"We need to move from the conventional model of academic education to a dual training system that will ensure our youth will be employed", pleaded the Sovereign who stressed that "all that Moroccans want, at the end of the day, is to secure their children's future, through curricula that pave the way for access to the job market".
HM the King further recommended that training centers "should, therefore, be enhanced in all specialized areas such as new technologies, the motor and aviation industries, the medical profession, agriculture, tourism and construction", while ensuring "high-quality training" in post-graduate studies, before expressing deep satisfaction at "the level achieved by Moroccans in various professions".
"As a result, our country has a skilled workforce which can be hired by international companies, particularly those which chose Morocco as a platform for expanding their investments and market influence", went on the Sovereign.