Report urges Morocco to overhaul its higher education system

The Higher Council for Education, Training, and Scientific Research has called for big changes in how Morocco’s universities and faculties work, highlighting serious problems like fragmentation, weak coordination, and a gap between public and private education.

According to the council’s report, the country’s higher education still struggles with outdated structures and lacks proper connections between academic programs and vocational training. 

The council said that the new draft law on higher education and innovation needs to be more than a cosmetic update of old regulations.

One of the key issues raised is the growing number of foreign and private institutions opening branches in Morocco. 

The report warned that these institutions should not ignore national priorities and must respect Morocco’s core values and constitution.

It also suggested that foreign universities should ensure social diversity by offering scholarships to talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Another important point was governance. The council recommended creating a strategic national council led by a respected public figure to guide universities and help them respond better to local needs. 

The council also proposed that university presidents serve four-year terms, renewable only once, with clear rules to guarantee transparency and equal opportunity.

When it comes to teaching methods, the report urged universities to move past traditional models that focus mainly on rote learning. 

Instead, it suggested embracing new approaches that integrate humanities, encourage critical thinking, and reflect rapid changes in the job market and technology, especially artificial intelligence.

Language was another focus area. The council wants universities to apply a bilingual model, combining the main teaching language with a second one, as set out in an earlier framework law.

The report called for a long-term plan to reorganize all higher education components after high school, including preparatory classes, into one more coherent system, developed with broad consultation and guided by a national strategy.