Ahmed Toufiq, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, announced the launch of a comprehensive reform vision for traditional education, centered on enhancing Quranic identity, developing curricula and programs, and achieving educational governance and administrative efficiency. This announcement was made during the ceremony for awarding educational excellence prizes for the traditional education sector for the 2024-2025 academic year, held yesterday, July 22, in Rabat.
Toufiq congratulated the winning students and institutions at the national level, praising the achieved results, which he regarded as a collective effort reflecting a deep commitment to this authentic educational model. He affirmed that traditional education, supervised by the ministry through a specialized directorate, is witnessing continuous developmental momentum, with 286 institutions hosting over 30,000 students, supervised by 7,443 educational and administrative staff.
The minister clarified that the new vision, inspired by the outcomes of the national meeting held in May 2025, relies on three main approaches. The first is to enhance the scientific and Quranic identity through the qualification of Quranic schools, reviewing programs, and strengthening the teaching of religious sciences and the Arabic language. The second approach involves organizing access and ensuring spatial equity by preparing regional educational maps and diversifying educational pathways. The third approach focuses on improving the quality of guidance and evaluation by qualifying staff and modernizing monitoring mechanisms and the evaluation system.
In a move to connect traditional education with its Quranic essence, Toufiq announced that starting from the 2026-2027 academic year, the complete memorization of the Quran will be required to pass the final exam of the traditional primary cycle, along with an increase in the weight of the Quranic subject and the number of its classes. He also mentioned the signing of official agreements between Quranic schools and formal schools to ensure a smooth transition for students and to organize financial support based on specific criteria.
Regarding the framework for management, the minister revealed updates to the educational administration structure and the enhancement of the information system for managing institutional affairs, alongside motivating educational and administrative staff and activating performance evaluation mechanisms to ensure transparency and efficiency.
Toufiq emphasized that the ongoing reforms aim to transform traditional education institutions into real spaces for human development and to entrench spiritual and national values, within a vision that positions traditional schools as carriers of the message of moderation, balance, and coexistence, without compromising their religious and scientific authenticity.
The minister called on various stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society, and benefactors, to engage in implementing this vision, praising the financial and moral support provided to this vital sector.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of excellence awards to high achievers across various educational stages, in a celebratory atmosphere that embodies the continued care for traditional education as a means to preserve the spiritual and scientific identity of the kingdom under the wise leadership of King Mohammed VI.
