The World Bank announced, Thursday, a new $500 million program in support of Morocco's goals of expanding access to quality preprimary education, significantly enhancing teachers' skills and competencies, and strengthening the governance of the sector. The funding, which will be spread over five years, aims to support the ministry of Education's ambitious reform agenda to improve the sector's overall performance according to Vision 2015-30 for education, the international financial institution says in a statement. The education sector represents on average 6.4% of Morocco's gross domestic product (GDP) and is an essential lever to strengthen the country's human capital, says the World Bank, which notes that after the rapid progress made over the past 20 years to achieve universal access to primary education for girls and boys, the authorities should now focus on improving learning and achievement for all students. Only a deep transformation of the functioning of the system will make it possible to strengthen the quality and efficiency of educational services, by focusing all efforts on the learning process, notes the financial institution, pointing out that in response to this challenge, the ministry of Education has launched an ambitious reform program in line with the 2015-30 Education Vision. The World Bank's program loan will complement a component of Morocco's strategy to promote a shift in approach towards results-based rather than resource-based governance principles in order to improve classroom learning. According to the same source, three aspects will be favored : capacities, learning and behavior, adding that this program is structured around components defined according to the main obstacles to progress in the sector.
