The Government is determined to abolish free education and open the sector to foreign investment- Minister

Morocco World News

Rabat, August 8, 2012

Lahcen Daoudi, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said in a presentation on Tuesday before the Committee of Education, Culture and Communication in the House of Representatives, that the government is determined to set charges on higher education for the students of affluent families.

The Minister confirmed that education took up a huge portion of the budget of the government. Mr. Daoudi stressed that his ministry has decided to open the door for European universities to invest in higher education.

Daoudi talked about the offers of many Western governments that have expressed a desire to invest in the education sector, adding that his ministry will sign agreements with Spanish, French, Italian and Russian universities.

Regarding the status of higher education in the country, the Minister stressed that Moroccan education depends on foreign investment.

“We must exploit the stability of Morocco to attract investors from major international universities,” said the minister. “We cannot allow private schools to depend on the hands of Moroccan investors only,” he added stressing that the ministry is determined to put into force the Charter of National Education and Training.

Daoudi acknowledged the failure of his ministry to find seats for all baccalaureate holders.

Mr. Daoudi justified the action taken by his government to deal with the problem of overcrowded classes in academic institutions due to open free access (Colleges of Arts, Sciences and the Law), in addition to the insufficiency of university buildings to accommodate all baccalaureate holders this year.

It is worth mentioning that the National Union of Higher Education has expressed, in a statement issued last week, its refusal to put an end to free education.

Baccalaureate holders took to the streets yesterday to call for free education. On the other hand, university professors warned the ministry that they would go on strike by the start of the next school year if the government does not backs-off its decision to abolish free higher education.