Speaking at a high-level event organized by Morocco and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) under the theme “Investing in school health and nutrition to transform the education and lives of young people”, Mr. Benmoussa noted that the education, health and nutrition nexus represents a fundamental pillar of the Moroccan education sector.
“It is also at the heart of the national roadmap for the transformation of education and the New Development Model, adopted in 2021 under the High Royal Guidelines”, he said during this parallel event, organized in the framework of the High Level Summit on the Transformation of Education, which is being held in New York (16-18 September), at the initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.
Mr. Benmoussa, in this context, pointed out that Morocco has made colossal efforts in terms of strengthening health and nutrition programs and social support for students, especially those from rural areas and vulnerable areas.
In addition to student accommodation, school transport, the royal initiative “one million schoolbags”, the “Tayssir” program, direct financial aid to students’ families, the catering service plays an important role in retaining students. in the school, he noted.
The Minister also indicated that, in parallel with the extension of the number of beneficiaries of boarding schools and school canteens, Morocco has made significant efforts to improve the catering service for students, in particular the quality of meals, at through the guarantee of the catering service throughout the school year, the regular control of canteens and boarding schools to guarantee favorable conditions of safety and prevention of the health of the pupils by contractual school health doctors and the extension of the reception structure by creating new boarding schools and school canteens, particularly in rural areas, in order to combat school drop-out.
These efforts, he continued, have been marked in particular by an increase in the budget per child for healthier meals, a generalization of medical visits to primary schools and reproductive health education integrated into the program and activities of the schools. schools.
They were also marked by nutritional education reinforced by the school curriculum and supplemented by national nutrition week and school activities, in addition to road safety education reinforced by programs and dedicated activities, including the participation of the National Police and Gendarmerie.
Mr. Benmoussa also noted that Morocco has launched the “Sehaty Fi Taghdiyati” school nutrition education program, adding that this program aims to emphasize the importance of nutrition in the fight against school failure and the promotion of student health. It concerns the organization of awareness sessions on nutrition education in schools, the revision and production of educational kits, he said.
This issue also benefits from the technical support of UNICEF within the framework of the Cooperation Program (CPD) between the two parties as well as with other partners, he said, recalling that the CPD Morocco -Unicef, adopted on September 06 by the Unicef Board of Directors, aims to support education to achieve nationally defined learning skills and competencies and equitable and quality health and nutrition services to cover disadvantaged areas.
The Minister also underlined that Morocco calls for greater investment in nutrition and health and stronger collaboration to transform education, insisting that it is essential to guarantee sustainable financing and pursue innovative approaches to fund and foster coordinated efforts that link the education, health and food systems and implement multi-component programs.
“This work is more important now than it has ever been if we really want to transform our schools, that is to say the future of the younger generations,” he said.
The Minister also noted the importance of international cooperation for development and South-South and triangular cooperation which, according to him, should constitute an important lever aimed at contributing to the transformation of education.
This high-level event, which took place in the presence of the Ambassador Permanent Representative of Morocco to the UN, Omar Hilale, was marked by the participation of the Global Director of Education at UNICEF, Robert Jenkins. , UNICEF Deputy Director General for Education, Stefania Giannini and United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Scaling Up Nutrition Coordinator, Gerda Verburg.
Also taking part in this meeting were the Ministers of Education of Malawi, Niger and Jamaica, in addition to the Secretary of Education of Argentina.
Discussions at this event focused in particular on the importance of an integrated approach to school health and nutrition and the state of progress at the global and regional levels, as well as on the means likely to expand the fiscal space for integrated school health, including mental health and nutrition programs.
The summit on the transformation of education, which is being held within the framework of the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations (13-27 current), will be marked by a high-level event which will bring together, this Monday, at least 90 leaders of state and government, ministers and other officials to discuss ways to ensure a transformation of education to safeguard the future of millions of children around the world.