Marrakech – Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch chaired a follow-up meeting in Rabat on Wednesday to assess progress on the reform of Morocco’s higher education, scientific research, and innovation system.
The session reviewed key indicators, ongoing structural projects, and the legal framework underpinning the reform, in line with royal directives.
Akhannouch opened by framing higher education reform as a firm government commitment, directly tied to improving human capital across vital sectors.
He noted the government has raised the ministry’s overall budget by 30% between 2021 and 2025, enabling the hiring of additional academic and administrative staff, improving their conditions, and expanding university infrastructure.
Total student enrollment now exceeds 1.3 million, a 4.8% increase compared to the previous academic year.
On the structural side, officials reviewed plans to revise the university map to ensure territorial equity. A key announcement was the creation of a new Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry in Kenitra. The move is designed to broaden access to medical training in the region and ease congestion at the Faculty of Medicine in Rabat.
University housing was also a central topic. Five projects have been launched across five cities – Agadir, El Jadida, Oujda, Nador, and Beni Mellal – with a combined capacity of around 11,000 beds, developed through a public-private partnership model. A second batch of projects is set for launch in April, with a long-term target of 100,000 beds nationwide.
The meeting outlined sector-specific enrollment targets aligned with national strategies. For the 2025-2026 academic year, 10,841 seats were opened for health sector training as part of a program to expand Morocco’s medical workforce by 2030.
Teacher training for primary and secondary school levels saw 20,404 seats made available. Meanwhile, 27,190 new students enrolled in digital specializations as part of a push to scale up tech graduates by 2027.
On the academic side, universities introduced around 366 new programs. Officials also advanced flexible transfer pathways between disciplines, institutions, and specializations through a credit-recognition system aimed at reducing university dropout.
The government made progress in aligning regulations with Framework Law 51.17, with the remaining legislative texts either finalized or pending approval.
The meeting also reviewed the national rollout of the Elogha-sup language learning platform across universities, covering English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Amazigh. The platform was developed by Moroccan specialists.
Wednesday’s session was the second major education reform review in under three weeks. On February 25, Akhannouch chaired a separate meeting focused on primary and secondary education, where officials reported that preschool coverage had reached 80%, benefiting more than 985,000 children.
That session also noted a drop in middle school dropout rates – from 8.4% to 4.45% – and reviewed the expansion of Amazigh language instruction and English teaching at the secondary level.