Morocco urged to rethink education policy amid rapid global changes

Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Azzedine El Midaoui, has warned that up to 70% of today’s jobs may disappear by 2050 due to global transformations in education, training, and labor markets.

Speaking Wednesday at a parliamentary seminar titled “Transforming Education Policies: What Public Governance in the Face of Current Challenges?”, El Midaoui stressed the need for Moroccan universities to gain true institutional independence, calling it essential for ensuring quality and efficiency. “Independence should not be a slogan—it must be a mechanism,” he said.

The minister also emphasized the critical role of universities in preparing graduates for the fast-evolving global job market, arguing that academic institutions must look beyond regional labor demands and align with global professional shifts. “Capital knows no borders,” El Midaoui said, underlining the urgency of training adaptable and critically minded graduates.

Addressing higher education stakeholders directly, El Midaoui cautioned against complacency. “We do not have the right to make mistakes. Society, politicians, and the media are closely watching the education sector.”

The minister noted the disruptive effects of the digital revolution on labor and education systems, calling for “continuous research and adaptation” and warning that “the job market changes every five years.”

In the same forum, Mohamed Ouzzine, Secretary General of the Popular Movement Party, criticized what he described as decades of failed education reforms. He lamented that Morocco’s education system has become a “testing ground for failed experiments,” questioning the effectiveness of past reform programs and the resources spent.

Ouzzine also raised concerns about language policies in Moroccan universities, arguing that students are now inadequately prepared in both Arabic and foreign languages. He cited philosopher Mohamed Guessous’ warning about the erosion of critical thinking, blaming the marginalization of philosophy and the humanities since the late 1970s for what he called the “domestication of young minds.”

The opposition leader further criticized the repeated shifts in curricula and lack of inclusive policy-making, linking these issues to school dropout rates and deeper systemic challenges. “We must learn from successful experiences abroad, including Singapore,” he said.

Ouzzine concluded with a call for transparency and consensus, stressing that “education is a national cause that should be kept above ideological debates.”