Weighing in on the lag in education development in Morocco, Minister of Education Mohammad Hassad has said that the ministry must direct all of its efforts to reform primary education policies.

During a presentation at the opening of the 12th session of the Supreme Council for Education and Training on July 26, Hassad stressed that the ministry should focus on primary education. “If we do not work on this basis, education will never develop.”

“In terms of primary education reform, changes will begin starting the next academic year 2017-2018, in the sense that we will determine the curricula to be taught and determine the age of children who will study these curricula,” he told the council, before listing a number of policy changes.

The minister said that, starting the next academic year, children aged five and five-and-a-half will be able to enroll in primary education.

Hassad informed the council that the number of students in primary classes will be reduced. “Beginning next year the number of students in classes will not exceed 30 students per class.”

Changes in language pedagogy will also be made, said Hassad. “The French language will be adopted in the first year of primary education, with an average of two hours. Language teaching for the fifth and sixth level of primary school will be compatible with higher education level.”

He pointed out that the ministry will work on including English in primary, secondary and high schools, adding that it will continue to include the international route, and will be licensed to private institutions to include it starting in the 2018 season.

“In 2018-2019, school year, the teaching of mathematics will be accompanied by French in primary education, with the addition of texts in French or English, as selected, in the teaching of science and mathematics in preparatory education in order to accommodate students in both languages,” said the minister