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Rabat – The Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, the OCP Foundation, and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) have established a partnership with the aim of fostering innovation in national education and providing new opportunities for students and teachers.
Supported by the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance, the partnership aims to strengthen the commitment of key stakeholders towards “educational excellence,” particularly benefiting students in the public education system, indicated a press release.
In addition, the partnership aligns with the 2022-2026 Roadmap for a Quality Education for All, reflecting four core principles: innovation and experimentation in new educational models, promoting a culture of educational excellence, empowering stakeholders at the grassroots level, and creating sustainable impacts for beneficiaries, added the statement.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Education Chakib Benmoussa, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of Budget, Fouzi Lekjaa, OCP President Mostafa Terrab, and UM6P President Hicham El Habti.
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The agreement introduces a new approach of co-financing projects by the partners, allowing the parties to combine their resources, expertise, and networks to address challenges and pursue educational excellence more effectively.
This approach will create a “model of collaboration between the public and private sectors, contributing to a major public policy transformation for the development of our country,” explained the statement.
The partnership focuses on several key aspects to enhance educational excellence and innovation, including teacher training, research and development, digital transformation, and pedagogical innovation.
In this respect, the collaboration will leverage UM6P’s role as a “catalyst” for educational innovation, highlighted the statement.
Fostering an excellent and innovative system
The partnership primarily aims to foster the creation of an “excellent and innovative” system by initiating several news educational projects to improve teaching quality.
Among these projects are the establishment of two national and continental campuses of excellence. The first, set to launch in Rabat during the 2023-2024 academic year, will offer an exceptional sports-studies program. Meanwhile, the second, located in Laayoune, will provide a qualified secondary education track in scientific fields, including preparatory classes for top-tier universities.
The collaboration also introduces “Starred Classes,” regional pilot programs bringing together the most outstanding students from a specific city to foster excellence in their respective fields.
In addition, the partnership aims to prepare students for international competitions, including Olympics in mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
To strengthen technical education, the collaboration pledges to enhance existing technical fields, as well as introduce two new Green Development-focused BTS (Brevet de Technicien Spécialisé) at UM6P starting in September 2023.
With Morocco putting English language education at the heart of its educational reforms, the partnership is committed to promoting bilingualism by implementing a pilot Anglophone teaching program that spans from preschool to secondary education within the Moroccan educational system.
Reinforcing teacher training
A key focus of the partnership is to support teacher and pedagogical staff training systems by establishing mechanisms for continuous improvement of teaching quality.
Graduates of preparatory classes will be offered a three-year, “high-quality” training program similar to a research-oriented Master’s degree, followed by a year of preparation for the “agrégation” exam.
In addition, the partnership will include the establishment of a “Center of Teaching Excellence” to validate and certify the experience-based skills of teacher trainers. The center will also house a fund for applied research and innovation in education.
Revolutionizing Public Schools
The collaboration recognizes the importance of school sponsorship in fostering innovation within public schools and providing students with an environment that encourages innovation.
To this end, language laboratories will be implemented to enhance language learning for both teachers and students.
In addition, the partnership will offer continued sponsorship for rural schools to develop innovative pedagogical projects through multi-year agreements.
A holistic support approach will also be maintained for preparatory classes (CPGEs) to enhance their performance and infrastructure, in line with the respective institutions’ goals.
Supporting the Ministry’s Digital Transformation
The strategic partnership underlines the need to share best practices and resources with the Moroccan ministry of education to bolster its digital transformation.
It will do so by establishing a “Digital Factory” that would serve as a physical platform to accelerate the ministry’s digitization initiatives.
This renewed trust builds upon the significant achievements of the collaboration between OCP and the Moroccan ministry of education, which commenced in 2014.
Key achievements of the collaboration include the establishment of the Excellence High School in Benguerir, the sponsorship of 60 public schools, the establishment of 27 CPGE centers and five teacher training centers, as well as the integration of digital tools into Moroccan education.
This pioneering collaboration sets a precedent for public-private partnerships that drive transformative change in the Moroccan educational landscape.
