The number of pupils, students and teachers, as well as the number of school, university and vocational training infrastructures reveals meaningfully the exceptional development of the southern provinces in terms of education since Morocco recovered its Sahara.
Under the impulsion of the Southern Provinces Development Program launched by HM King Mohammed VI in 2015, the pace of this development has been accelerated leading to increasing schooling rate in these regions over the national average.
Guelmim - Oued Noun
Laayoune - Sakia El Hamra
Dakhla - Oued Eddahab
Guelmim-Oued Noun: Evolution and diversity of the educational offer
The sector of education, training, higher education, staff training and vocational training is experiencing a great recovery in the Region of Guelmim- Oued Noun. Several projects have been launched under a partnership agreement, including a program contract to finance the Region of Guelmim-Oued Noun’s Integrated Development Plan 2016-2021, signed in the presence of the King Mohammed VI, in Dakhla, in 2016, with a budget amounting to 390 million dirhams.
This large project aims to implement a total of 47 vital projects through the establishment of 35 educational institutions, including 18 primary institutions, 7 junior Schools, 10 high schools, two of which are technical.
These projects will provide schooling to the population, especially in rural areas, and reduce territorial and social inequalities by creating an accessible educational offer to all students in all provinces of Guelmim- Oued Noun Region.
The school year 2022-2023 witnesses the success of great projects undertaken in the Region’s provinces in relation to schooling, pending the operationalization of other development projects in this sector, as well as educational facilities such as sports ground, pools, covered auditorium and others.
However, the Region’s vocational training map has undergone key structural reforms of vocational training’s institutes. It includes three institutes that provide more than 3000 pedagogical places in various fields, including trade, management,industry,information and communication, modern technology, hospitality and tourism.
Students from all over the Kingdom, as well as from sub-Saharan Africa attend the vocational training complex in Guelmim, which expected to introduce new training specialties that are likely to increase the attractiveness of the trainings provided by the Region.
Academic education adapted to labor market needs
Created in 2011, the Higher School of Technology of Guelmim is one of the major training institutions in the Guelmim-Oued Noun Region. This institution aims to meet the needs of the Region in terms of number of staff specialized in promising areas such as renewable energy, computer science, management, social and solidarity economy. In addition to its 1400 graduates, it is currently accommodating about 900 students.
In October 2020, the Faculty of Economics and Management was established and merged with all the higher schools and universities of different specialties in Guelmim Oued Noun. It does not only provide training in economics and management, but it provides a professional degree in economic and financial engineering and banking as well.
It has recently obtained accreditation for two programs: audit and management control, as well as International Trade and Logistics. With respect to its reception capacity, the institution offers trainings for 8000 fundamental bachelor’s degree students and 800 professional bachelor’s degree ones.
The faculty provides students with necessary theoretical and practical knowledge to start their own businesses. Besides, it focuses on scientific research and motivates the students’ individual abilities and qualifies them for doctoral studies and research development.
Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra : Improving Education at the Heart of Reforms
Improving the educational offer in the region of Laayoune-Sakia El hamra is the main priority of the reforms undertaken in this region. Indeed, the education sector has been given a new impetus in recent years as part of the new development model for the southern provinces.
As for the public educational institutions, this region has 91 fundamental schools, 36 secondary schools and 25 high schools. In addition, there is a growing number of private educational structures, whether at the pre-school, primary or secondary education.
Most educational institutions in this region have undergone major development, rehabilitation and embellishment, in order to provide students with an attractive learning and fulfilment environment.
furthermore, a Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy was recently opened in Laayoune expressing Morocco's willingness to diversify training and educational opportunities in the southern provinces. This faculty receives students from the provinces of Tan-tan, Guelmim, Es-Semara, Tarfaya, Boujdour, Aousserd, Assa zag, and also from sub-saharan countries.
The establishment covers an area of 10 hectares and includes a library, training centers, specialized laboratories, research centers, an amphitheater with a capacity of 400 seats, ten classrooms?technical and socio-sportive rooms.
A diversified higher education
The Ibn Zohr University of Agadir has several educational establishments distributed all-over the region of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, including the Higher School of Technology (EST) and the National School of Business and Management (ENCG).
Moreover, Universiapolis opened an annex in Laayoune in 2016, with four higher educational institutions including ISIAM Business School, the Faculty of Engineering, the School of Tourism and Hospitality, and the School of Human Sciences and Communication (SUP'HCom).
The inauguration of the specialized institute of applied technology (ISTA) in 2019 is one more important step aiming to develop vocational training in the region of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and respond the needed qualified labor for a rapid economic development.
If before 1976 children attending school in the region of Laayoune-Sakia El hamra hardly exceeded a few dozens, today they are nearly a hundred thousand to enter the different modern and good equipped schools throughout the region. With All these tremendous efforts make it possible, guaranteeing future student’s higher education in the region, hence more, it will be insured through a local and varied university offer.
Dakhla-Oued Eddahab Region: Region: A Model of the Universalization of Education
The Educational achievements in the Region of Dakhla-Oud Edaahab bears witness to the Region’s educational leadership within the Kingdom, particularly with respect to the universalization of education.
New establishments have been opened regularly in the Region, alongside the rehabilitation of old ones. In addition to ensuring equity and equality of opportunities, a positive discrimination has been adopted in rural and suburban areas and others of necessity, through initiatives enabling children to access schooling and continue their education in good conditions.
According to recent data from the Regional Academy of Education, there are 33334 students in 75 schools, including 44 primary schools, 20 junior schools and 10 high schools.
Higher education has also developed in the Region of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab with a quality training offer. The National School of Business and Management opened its doors in this Region in 2016, as part of the decentralization of university offer and its adaptation to regional needs.
Furthermore, the inauguration of the Higher School of Technology of Dakhla in 2021 has reinforced the training offer and provided specialized skillful human resources in the economic sector in this Region.
This high School of Technology is a component of Ibn Zohr University of Agadir; it has a capacity of 1000 students. This institution provides three fields of study: computer science, management techniques and electrical engineering.
Not only do these universities help promote economic growth, but they contribute to the implementation of advanced regionalization as well.
