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WASHINGTON – The education system in Morocco is a long debated topic of contention between state, society, and, particularly, youth.
According to a recent survey by Transparency International NGO, 60% of Moroccans are still convinced that the education system is corrupt.
The newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum, reported that “corruption pervades all sectors in Morocco, including teaching and education.” The survey, which was conducted by Transparency International, was confirmed by Azzedine Akesbi, a member of Transparency Morocco and the Central Authority for the Prevention of Corruption [ICPC].
Transparency pinpointed several types of abuses within the Moroccan education system, unveiling patterns of “classic cheating” on exams, to “blackmail” between teachers and in universities. The report also cites “cronyism” and “favoritism” in enrollment in schools.
The report comes at a crucial moment in Moroccan education development, with increasingly frequent youth protests at the lack of job opportunities available for educated youth and the poor quality of education and training in the country, the Moroccan government has plans to take action.
The Emergency Education Plan, which was announced last month, is to serve the dual purpose of restructuring the existing education system to be more efficient and of better quality, and developing it to provide more opportunities for vocational training and a larger focus on math and science education.
On the other hand, the newspaper did not hesitate to bring up again the issue of the budget for the implementation of the Emergency Education Plan. In 2011, for example, only 56% of the education budget was put to use to improve the education system, reports Akhbar Al Yaoum. The newspaper highlights “the disturbing accumulation” of the government’s untapped budgets.
The Transparency International report is not meant to merely highlight the vices of the Moroccan state, but rather to provide a roadmap for improvement of the education sector. Improving education in Morocco is an important baseline for improving quality of life and human development in the country.
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