(MENAFN- Morocco World News) Rabat – As more and more nations move to a post-industrial knowledge economy that is driven by information technology and professional service sector jobs, the need for post-secondary that promotes portable and transferable skills will become critical.
Prime Minister recently reassured the Moroccan public that the government has no plans to abandon in public institutions. He described media reports to the contrary as 'completely untrue.'
The future for public higher education institutions in Morocco, on the other hand, likely includes inscription (enrollment) fees and other fees that may slightly resemble tuition. It is likely that family income will be a main determinant of just who pays how much. Any potential enrollment fees should be returned as investments in the higher education system – staff, learning resources, adjunct faculty from the business, arts and science communities. The public should welcome a new paradigm that creates obligations for the education system to serve students while also creating new expectations for students to better visualize their professional career in Moroccan society.
Morocco's services sector accounts for half of the kingdom's annual GDP. Many of these service sector jobs, from information technology consultants to marketing professionals, will become an increasingly important component of the kingdom's economy. In many nations, there is excitement for the professional service sector and its role in creating jobs. This year for the first time, Moroccan tech startups will participate in the Consumer Electronic Show (CES), the premier consumer technology trade show held in Las Vegas and a showcase of small-firm innovation. Maghreb Arab Press reported in October that Morocco had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China to establish an economic zone in Fez, primarily for professional or service sector initiatives.
The traditional mission of training Morocco's civil servants, teachers and lawyers is going to continue but as the economy diversifies the university as private sector employee incubator will become critically important. Beyond the change that is required to meet new demands from a dynamic economy, partnering enrollment fees with new investments in higher education will help Moroccan public universities become even more invaluable public resources. As a byproduct, enrollment fees/tuition can create buy-in, a heightened sense of connection and obligation by faculty and students alike. Incurring some debt is a tradition for most American college students. It often creates stress, but it prepares students for a dynamic US economy where career change – planned and unplanned – is increasingly common.
In 2015, the Higher Council for Education Training and Scientific Research introduced a strategic vision roadmap that outlined the future for Moroccan schools. Equality in access, increased standards for education/teacher training curriculum, and increased support for vocational training were all main components of the new strategic vision. Admirable in that the plan sought to re-engage young people, particularly those from rural Morocco and those who are Amazigh in ancestry.
Large American land-grant public universities faced similar challenges related to affordability, cost, workforce development and public duty in the wake of the Great Recession (2007-09). Beyond the unpopular practice of raising tuition and other programming fees, these institutions gradually expanded innovative programs that may also find meaning in Morocco. Citizens are more supportive of increases in enrollment fees, tuition hikes and other payments when they perceive that there are direct benefits for the student and their respective community. Some of the post-recession priorities of public higher education include:
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