Faouzi Lekjaa, Morocco’s Minister delegate in charge of the budget, along with the Ambassador of France to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, and the Director of AFD Agency in Rabat, Quiterie Pincent, signed a loan contract and a grant agreement valued at €130 million and €4.7 million, respectively, on Monday in Rabat for funding from the French Development Agency (AFD).
Signed in the presence of Minister of National Education, Chakib Benmoussa, this significant financial injection will be used to support Morocco’s national education system reform roadmap from 2022-2026.
The €130 million fund seeks to help with the development of public policies, while the €4.7 million grant is intended to provide technical assistance and support to implement the roadmap’s recommended improvements and pilot initiatives.
AFD has pledged to fund education for the next five years, with a focus on improving language proficiency for middle school teachers and students, reducing dropout rates, strengthening the middle school model, enhancing school catering and transportation services.
Speaking at the ceremony, Benmoussa explained that the funding targets middle schools in particular, with an eventual objective of reducing school dropout rates by offering academic, pedagogical, and social support, while also improving language proficiency, especially in French, with the backing of AFD.
“Technical support will be provided to monitor implementation progress and expected outcomes, to fortify the roadmap,” he stated.
Lekjaa highlighted the importance of the agreement in bolstering Morocco’s educational reform. “Collaboration among different ministries is intended to improve the recognition of education professionals and expand educational materials, with the goal of enhancing students’ well-being and personal development, and also enhancing instructors’ abilities and efficiency,” he detailed.
Ambassador Lecourtier stressed the “strategic positioning” of the Moroccan educational reform in the kingdom’s developmental trajectory, noting the mutual interest by both Morocco and France in young generations.
Aside from supporting the Moroccan reform program, this funding will also provide France with a learning opportunity to strengthen its own educational reforms, especially for addressing concerns such as underperforming in mathematics, school dropout rates, and linguistic challenges, the ambassador said.