“The House of Representatives Approves the Higher Education Law in Second Reading”
The House of Representatives approved, during a legislative session held yesterday (Tuesday), by a majority vote, the draft law No. 59.24 related to higher education and scientific research, in the context of a second reading, with 82 votes in favor and 33 against.
Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, Azeddine Midaoui, stated in an introductory speech that the drafting of this text was conducted with complete impartiality and free from any ideological backgrounds or considerations, emphasizing that the goal is to qualify the higher education system and create suitable conditions for the future university to keep pace with major transformations and developments.
The minister explained that the amendments made to the draft were done within a participatory approach, noting the acceptance of 52 amendments in the House of Representatives and 22 amendments in the House of Councillors, while praising the contribution of parliamentarians from both the majority and opposition in enriching the legislative discussion.
Midaoui pointed out that the disagreement over some unacceptable amendments is either due to their inclusion in other articles of the draft or differing perspectives on certain provisions that may affect the essence of the text, highlighting that the amendments from the House of Councillors focused primarily on minor legal aspects, including additions and linguistic and structural corrections, along with responding to the demands of union representatives.
The new legal framework relies on institutionalizing strategic planning through the preparation of a management plan for higher education, allowing for the monitoring and foresight of the system’s evolution based on the principles of spatial justice and equity among regions, alongside the establishment of a national strategy for scientific, technical, and innovation research that sets national priorities and enhances coordination and efficiency in implementing public policies.
To enhance university governance, the draft law calls for the creation of a board of trustees as a new body to support and accompany universities, while maintaining the full powers of the university council, revising its composition, and linking the appointment of university presidents and heads of university and sectoral institutions to specific terms of reference, in addition to institutionalizing departments as structures to frame educational and scientific activities.
The draft law also enshrines a linguistic framework that emphasizes the status of the two official languages of the Kingdom while being open to foreign languages, along with institutionalizing distance education, alternating training, and lifelong learning, and basic training with flexible timing for workers in both the public and private sectors, all while clarifying the legal framework for continuous training certificates and establishing evaluation and quality assurance mechanisms.
