Educational System Structure in Morocco - Research Proposal Example

Independent Research Study An investigation into the Structure of the Educational System in Morocco and its Capa for Addressing the Needs and Expectations of the Hospitality Industry in the Country Submitted by : Submitted to : Course : Date : September 29, 2009 Word Count : 3,069 words STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP “I confirm that no part of this work, except where clearly quoted and referenced, has been copied from material belonging to any person e.g. from a book, handout, another student. I am aware that it is a breach of GIHE regulations to copy the work of another without clear acknowledgement and that attempting to do so render me liable to disciplinary procedures.” ________________ Table of Contents I. Consultant’s Brief 4 The tourism sector in Morocco has presented a strong growth of 6%, compared to a world average of 1.6% within the last decade (Alkhatib, 2008, Pp. 2). However, the tourism sector in Morocco must compete with other regional attractions, including those that are found in Egypt, which presented a growth rate of 20.6% for its tourism sector within the same period. The Vision 2010 strategy developed by the government in Morocco in the year 2001 in concert with the private sector targets attracting 10 million tourists compared to the 4.4 million in the year 2001 to generate 48 billion Euros over the year 2001 – 2010, compared to less than 3 billion Euros in annual tourism receipts for the year 2001 (Alkhatib, 2008, Pp. 21 - 24). About 600,000 new jobs are expected to be created and tourism is expected to present 20 % of the national GDP. The hosting capacity for tourism is expected to increase to 230,000 beds from 97,000 beds in the year 2001. 6 Developing the tourism sector in Morocco presents a challenge because the country lags behind its peers on many social indicators (Alkhatib, 2008, Pp. 2 - 3). Thus, educating the masses to support the 2010 Vision to support tourism and to take on the new jobs is a challenge and it is important to try to better understand the expectations of hospitality and tourism industry managers, increase capacity for training and education for jobs in tourism and understand if the structure of the education system in Morocco can support the needs and expectations of the hospitality industry in the country. 6 III. Aim and Objectives 7 III.I. Aim: 7 III.II. Objectives: 7 IV. Research Design 8 IV.I. Research Philosophy 9 The research philosophy for this project is about collection of qualitative and quantitative data from reliable published sources and survey methods to try to create rich descriptions and patterns that present a better understanding of the details for the situation faced by the client in reality or perhaps the forces acting behind the reality (Saunders, 2007, Chapter 1). The previously mentioned process of subjectivism presents a clear understanding of the problem that confronts the client. Induction is then used to try to deduce the unknown from that which is known to present possible solutions for the research problem (Maylor, 2005, Chapters 1 & 2). 9 9 IV.II. Data Collection 10 Although a proposal for a survey to decide about the requirements and expectations of the hospitality and tourism managers in Morocco is presented, such a survey could not be carried out due to limitations of time. Thus, the consultant was constrained to use secondary data from reports and research carried out by other researchers, articles from scholarly journals, books and government publications. The Morocco Ministry of Tourism website provides useful data and publications related to workforce for the hospitality and tourism sector from universities and research institutions presents useful sources for comparison for providing insights (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2009, “Key Figures” and “Observatory of Tourism”). It is important to understand that publications related to a detailed analysis of the quality and capacity of the education system in Morocco to cater for the requirements of the 2010 Vision for the country are scarce. Thus, it was necessary to use lateral thinking and comparisons to gain insights about the challenge for workforce training and development for the hospitality and tourism sector in Morocco. However, detailed information about the education system in Morocco is available, together with publications about skills requirements for hospitality and tourism occupations, capacity building for education and quality enhancement for education (Marlow-Ferguson, 2000, Pp. 907 – 916), (Brothers, 2005, Chapter 1) and (Ferguson Publishing, 2007, Chapters 1 -3). Thus, it is possible to reach reasonable conclusions for the problem at hand. 10 IV.III. Data Reliability and Validity 10 It is important that researchers ensure that they present reliable and valid data without bias from the right sources so that the right conclusions are reached from the knowledge that is created (Saunders, 2007, Chapters 1 – 2). All the data presented in this consultancy report is drawn from published government sources, reputed publications from prestigious institutions and well reputed reference works or books. Morocco is a developing country and this means that statistics are sketchy and lacking. However, data from reputed sources which are authoritative and reviewed publications enhance the reliability and validity of the data and facts presented in this report. 11 V. Data Presentation 11 V.I. The Education System in Morocco 12 The basis education system in Morocco consists of six years of primary school, followed by three years of lower-middle / secondary school, three years of upper secondary school and a tertiary education (Marlow-Ferguson, 2002, Pp. 909 -910) and (Wikipedia, 2009, “Education in Morocco”). Pre-school education is for students aged from 4 years to 6 years, while those aged from 6 years to 12 years attend primary schools. Although pre-primary education in Morocco is compulsory, many students attend the Islamic religious schools or none at all. According to the Morocco Statistics Department, 11.1 percent of children ages 7 to 14 years in Morocco were working in 2000 despite education being free and compulsory for children aged between 6 – 15 years. Many children did not attend even during their compulsory schooling years because they assist their parents to earn a living (United States Department of Labor, 2009, “Morocco - Incidence and Nature of Child Labor”). The government in Morocco has tried to enforce the Compulsory Schooling Act and this has resulted in 86% of the girls and 96% of the boys enrolling in primary schools (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”). Dropout rates are high and many children in primary schools do not make it to the secondary schools, with only 11% of the population of tertiary age enrolled in tertiary institutions, as depicted in the figures below. 12 13 Figure 1: Enrolment in Pre-Primary Schools in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) 13 13 Figure 2: Enrolment in Primary Schools in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) 13 14 Figure 3: Enrolment in Secondary Schools in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) 14 14 Figure 4: Enrolment in Tertiary Education in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) 14 15 Figure 5: Primary School Completion Rates in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) 15 15 Figure 6: Government Spending on Education in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) 15 16 Figure 7: Illiteracy Rates in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) 16 Arabic is the primary language of instruction in Morocco, but it competes with French and English is only taught for a few hours a week. It is said that quantitative skills, pedagogy and an outdated syllabus together with the failure of the education system to realistically address the needs of the job market has hampered the cause of education in Morocco (Diyen, 2003, “Education Reform of Secondary Schools in Morocco”).A preference for the more traditional pursuits for generating an income, poverty and the cultural ramifications derived from the Arab and Islamic culture for adhering strictly to the traditional without daring to be different constricts positive thinking and new ideas. The French colonial heritage did not help because the French administrators put in place an education system that was designed to “provide a child of a certain milieu with education that is adapted to the milieu, to keep the child there and to assist the child to fulfil his social role, however humble it might be” (Segalla, 2009, Pp. 94). Thus, the education system in Morocco was designed to only teach individuals what they had a need to know to maintain their social status, without any designs for improvement or social mobility. The elites could afford to purchase superior education if they so desired, but many chose to stay affixed to their traditional roles in the society without any desires for adventure. Farmhands begot farmhands, beggars begot beggars and traders begot traders. The emphasis, as in all Islamic societies, remained on accumulation of material wealth and to earn without investing in intellectual development or entrepreneurship that could have paid back. However, it must be said that poverty and failure to pay for education contributed to the deterioration in education and the public sector could only absorb so many. Schools were not teaching how to think or be flexible, but they were presenting individuals with memorized information for success in their lives. 16 The descriptions presented above should present a qualitative picture about the state of education in Morocco. It is clear that the traditional thinking will require that everyone be ‘trained’ for their specific job, rather than being able to ‘fit’ into a job by using the flexible thinking skills provided to them during their schooling. Thus, it will appear that the tourism and hospitality sector will demand those who have been specifically ‘trained’ for their jobs in the sector rather than trying to accommodate thinking and working individuals. However, the jobs of lower cadre workers in the hospitality industry are unlikely to appeal to the tertiary graduates who will want management positions for which they will need exposure to the right subjects and experience. Thus, it is the secondary and trade school education that will influence the capacity of Morocco to provide the workforce for its hospitality sector. Language remains a major problem, because English and not French or Arabic is the truly international language. Thus, emphasis on English teaching is important for secondary schools that will provide the workers who must effectively interact with tourists from all over the world and not just France or the Arab world, to deliver quality service. 17 17 A shortage of trade schools in the country that will take students who have completed secondary schools to train them for careers in hospitality and tourism was a cause for concern. Although the government of Morocco had established professional training establishments for hospitality and tourism, their combined capacity for training 1800 students per annum had to be increased if 2010 vision appeared to be going well (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2009, “Professional Training”). Thus, the government, supported by the private sector, acted by increasing the number of teaching places to 9300 and additional efforts were initiated to try to better estimate the actual increase in workforce requirement due to the 2010 Vision emphasis (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2007, Pp. 23) and (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2007, Pp. 12 – 16). Private hospitality management training institutes exist but it is likely that not everyone can afford the financial burden for studying in these institutions. 18 18 If 600,000 new jobs are to be created in the decade leading to 2010, an additional demand of 6000 new jobs presents itself. However, this increase in hospitality jobs is likely to be more pronounced towards the year 2010. The government in Morocco estimates that about 20,000 jobs will be created in 2009 – 2010 (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2008, Pp. 12 – 16). Thus, the capacity of 9300 new hospitality trade school graduates will not keep up with the demand. An earlier 2003 USAID study supports the previous observation, as depicted in Table 1 below. Skilled human resources are essential for development in every sphere (Ashton, 2005, Chapter 1). However, it is important to understand that tourism demand in Morocco is subject to fluctuations due to global events and the current global recession is unlikely to help with increasing demand. Thus, the government and the private sector actors need to tread carefully. Perhaps flexible additional training capacity should be in place to be utilized if despite the global recession demand for tourism persists. 18 19 Table 1: Education and Training in the Tourism / Hotels and Restaurant Cluster in Morocco according to a 2003 USAID Study (USAID, 2003, Pp. 21) 19 19 Apart from availability of skilled manpower, it is important for the hospitality and tourism sector to ensure that it provides fulfilling career paths in the industry to attract workers because if careers are deemed to be unattractive, individuals will not want to commit themselves (Airey, 2005, Chapter 31). Thus, strategic frameworks and priorities for human resource management in the hospitality and tourism sector must be intelligently set and applied (Tesone, 2008, Pp. 3 – 43). 19 V.II. Expectations and Demand for Skills in the Hospitality Sector 20 A very wide range of careers are available in the hospitality and tourism sector, ranging from baggage porters and bellhops to tour guides, hotel concierge, executive housekeepers and ski resort workers etc (Ferguson Publishing, 2007, “Table of Contents”). Although some of the careers may appear to be mundane, it is important to understand that for international luxury class hotel, a secondary school education with a capacity for communicating and interacting with guests is likely to be required for even a baggage porter. Education is important to the individual and the organisation that the individual works with and institutions in the developed nations present courses with emphasis for culinary arts, hotel lodging and management, restaurant and foodservice or travel and tourism management (CHRIE Member Colleges and Universities, 1999, Pp. 363 – 368). Thus, a mix of on-the-job training and trade training is required, but it is essential that those who want to develop a career in the hospitality and tourism sector have at least a decent secondary education (Pizam, 2005, Pp. 624 – 630). Quality of training is important for delivering quality workers, but relevant training can only upgrade those who have previously received quality education, i.e. secondary education (Clemenz, 2001, Pp. 170 – 185). Thus it is important that secondary school education in Morocco is improved together with the quality and capacity for trade courses in the country. 20 For the more skilled careers in the hospitality industry, a plethora of additional skills are needed and these are imparted on the job or at a vocational or trade school. It is ideal to try to carry out a survey of hospitality and tourism managers in Morocco to try to ascertain what skills and training will best meet expectations, but this could not be done due to time constraints. However, research efforts in the United States of America present hospitality and tourism industry requirements depicted in Table 2 below (Miranda, 1999, Pp. 41). It is clear that some skills are best learnt on-the-job, while other skills and foundations are imparted at a hospitality school. However, the quality of the secondary school education decides a lot about the capacity and quality for future training. Thus, Morocco needs to examine its secondary school system and to design a curriculum that will synchronise better with its 2010 Vision for hospitality and tourism, together with providing a flexible capacity building that will increase supply if the 2010 Vision is going well. 20 22 Table 2: Hospitality Manager Votes for Skills needed in the Hospitality and Tourism Sector and whether these are best learnt at School or on-the job (Miranda, 1999, Pp. 41) 22 22 VI. Conclusion and Recommendation 23 VI.I. Conclusion 23 It is clear from the previous discussion that a need exists in Morocco to try to constantly improve the curriculum, quality and capacity of education with a special emphasis on secondary education. The English language should be taught more vigorously because a majority of the tourists speak and understand this language. Those who can communicate in English are far more than those who know Arabic or French. Education needs to be attuned towards trying to create flexible and thinking individuals who can fit into the job market. 23 Although the government in Morocco has been trying to increase training capacity for hospitality and tourism, based on projections, additional capacity should still have lagged demand for the years 2009 – 2010. However, it is important to understand that the current global recession could have disrupted tourism demand and this will distort projections. Thus, it is important to emphasise flexible capacity building for training which can be used if the 2010 Vision appears to be on target. However, it is important to enhance the quality of secondary education and to try to encourage hospitality and tourism sector employers to offer on-the-job training programs by providing incentives, such as tax relief. 23 VI.II. Recommendation 24 Based on the prevailing global situation, which emphasises a recession, it is important for the government in Morocco to act on the following in cooperation with the private sector: 24 Try to bring about continuous improvement in the quality of secondary education in Morocco to produce flexible thinking and learning individuals. 24 Emphasise vigorous teaching of English language for secondary schools students and hospitality and tourism sector workers to cater for the global tourist. 24 Try to better ascertain the expectations of the hospitality and tourism sector for training of workforce by carrying out a survey of hospitality and tourism managers. 24 Increase flexible capacity for teaching hospitality and tourism trade courses and improve quality of such courses to reflect needs of hospitality and tourism sector. 24 Monitor the impact of the current global recession on the 2010 Vision for the hospitality and tourism sector and create future scenarios. 24 Provide incentives to those operating in the Morocco hospitality and tourism sector to provide apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs. 24 References 25 List of Figures and Tables Figure 1 Enrolment in Pre-Primary Schools in Morocco 13 Figure 2 Enrolment in Primary Schools in Morocco 13 Figure 3 Enrolment in Secondary Schools in Morocco 14 Figure 4 Enrolment in Tertiary Education in Morocco 14 Figure 5 Primary School Completion Rates in Morocco 15 Figure 6 Government Spending on Education in Morocco 15 Figure 7 Illiteracy Rates in Morocco 16 I. Consultant’s Brief The researcher’s client is the Moroccan government’s “Secrétariat dEtat chargée de la Formation Professionnelle” which is responsible for the planning of the educational system for the hospitality schools in Morocco. One of the important priority policies of the government of Morocco is to achieve the target of attracting 10 million tourists to the country in the year 2010 (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2009, “2010 Vision and Future”). However, if the vision for tourism in Morocco is to be realised, it is important that the country is prepared for offering that which will attract tourists. Thus, it is important that those who will provide hospitality services to the future tourists are well trained and capable of delivering quality in service to the tourists. The researcher needs to identify the expectations of the tourism and hospitality industry in Morocco in regard to the workforce that it wants for assisting with the fulfilment of the 2010 Vision for tourism in Morocco and determine if the structure of the present education system in Morocco can effectively assist with the training of this workforce. In addition, it is also desired to determine what can be done to increase capacity and improve quality for the training of hospitality employees who will support the Vision 2010 in Morocco. II. Introduction The Kingdom of Morocco has a population of 34.33 million people and a GDP per head of US$ 4555 with an adult literacy rate of 52.3% (Gordon, 2008, Pp. 20). Although Morocco ranks 126 out of 177 on the United Nations Human Development Index, it is a beautiful country with a highly diversified landscape, including pristine beaches, extensive mountain ranges and forests. The country has much to offer to the tourists, despite the fault lines of the Moroccan society that present inequalities in wealth and a high unemployment amongst the younger generation. Tourism has long been an important sector for Morocco and the government has identified tourism as one of the top five priority sectors for national development. It is expected that the development of the tourism sector will assist in providing employment to the young and a valued source of income for the nation. The tourism sector in Morocco has presented a strong growth of 6%, compared to a world average of 1.6% within the last decade (Alkhatib, 2008, Pp. 2). However, the tourism sector in Morocco must compete with other regional attractions, including those that are found in Egypt, which presented a growth rate of 20.6% for its tourism sector within the same period. The Vision 2010 strategy developed by the government in Morocco in the year 2001 in concert with the private sector targets attracting 10 million tourists compared to the 4.4 million in the year 2001 to generate 48 billion Euros over the year 2001 – 2010, compared to less than 3 billion Euros in annual tourism receipts for the year 2001 (Alkhatib, 2008, Pp. 21 - 24). About 600,000 new jobs are expected to be created and tourism is expected to present 20 % of the national GDP. The hosting capacity for tourism is expected to increase to 230,000 beds from 97,000 beds in the year 2001. Developing the tourism sector in Morocco presents a challenge because the country lags behind its peers on many social indicators (Alkhatib, 2008, Pp. 2 - 3). Thus, educating the masses to support the 2010 Vision to support tourism and to take on the new jobs is a challenge and it is important to try to better understand the expectations of hospitality and tourism industry managers, increase capacity for training and education for jobs in tourism and understand if the structure of the education system in Morocco can support the needs and expectations of the hospitality industry in the country. III. Aim and Objectives III.I. Aim: The aim of this research is to evaluate the current structure of the educational system to answer the needs and expectations of hospitality professionals in a quantitative and qualitative plan. III.II. Objectives: To briefly examine and to evaluate the education system in Morocco to determine how well this system can support the requirements for additional workforce for the hospitality industry. To define the needs in employment in the different jobs linked to hospitality for 2007-2010, and then deduct the needs in training by course of study. To investigate the expectations of hospitality and tourism managers in Morocco about what they will want to be delivered by the education sector in the country. To formulate recommendations for the training strategies that will best support the 2010 Vision for tourism in Morocco. IV. Research Design It is important to decide about how to carry out research after identification of a research project because a research methodology is the philosophy or the general principle, which guides the research and this philosophy, must be right for an investigation to present useful knowledge (Dawson, 2007, Chapter 1). Qualitative research and quantitative research paradigms are the two basic philosophies for research available to researchers with their relative merits. Quantitative research generates statistics using measurements or surveys, while qualitative research is about exploration of results of similar research, attitudes, behaviours and experiences. A heavy emphasis often exists on quantification in the sciences, but it can be difficult to quantify or model complex phenomenon in the real world (Denzin, 2005, Chapter 1). This means that pieces of knowledge must be collected and fitted together to present a reasonable mental model or description that can be further refined to enhance understanding of a topic of research. For this research project, it is important to seek qualitative and quantitative evidence for examining the structure and capability of the education system in Morocco to provide for the needs and expectations of the nation’s hospitality and tourism sector. Qualitative evidence is from published literature about the education system in Morocco, statistics for the education system, skill requirements for hospitality and tourism jobs, requirements of hospitality and tourism industry in other nations and what is available in literature about increasing the capacity of the education system and the quality of its products. However, it is important to try to investigate the specific requirements of the tourism and hospitality sector in Morocco which must operate within a local and indigenous business environment when serving the needs of the tourist from international market. Thus, a survey that tries to better ascertain the requirements of the hospitality and tourism managers in Morocco is strongly recommended. Examples of such surveys are in (Miranda, 1999, Pp. 40 – 42), (Kwon, 2002, Pp. 40 – 41) and (Clemenz, 2001, Pp. 116 – 117). However, because of constraints of time and resources, it was not possible to conduct a survey and to include results for the proposed survey in this report. Thus, only secondary data is considered in this write-up. IV.I. Research Philosophy The research philosophy for this project is about collection of qualitative and quantitative data from reliable published sources and survey methods to try to create rich descriptions and patterns that present a better understanding of the details for the situation faced by the client in reality or perhaps the forces acting behind the reality (Saunders, 2007, Chapter 1). The previously mentioned process of subjectivism presents a clear understanding of the problem that confronts the client. Induction is then used to try to deduce the unknown from that which is known to present possible solutions for the research problem (Maylor, 2005, Chapters 1 & 2). IV.II. Data Collection Although a proposal for a survey to decide about the requirements and expectations of the hospitality and tourism managers in Morocco is presented, such a survey could not be carried out due to limitations of time. Thus, the consultant was constrained to use secondary data from reports and research carried out by other researchers, articles from scholarly journals, books and government publications. The Morocco Ministry of Tourism website provides useful data and publications related to workforce for the hospitality and tourism sector from universities and research institutions presents useful sources for comparison for providing insights (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2009, “Key Figures” and “Observatory of Tourism”). It is important to understand that publications related to a detailed analysis of the quality and capacity of the education system in Morocco to cater for the requirements of the 2010 Vision for the country are scarce. Thus, it was necessary to use lateral thinking and comparisons to gain insights about the challenge for workforce training and development for the hospitality and tourism sector in Morocco. However, detailed information about the education system in Morocco is available, together with publications about skills requirements for hospitality and tourism occupations, capacity building for education and quality enhancement for education (Marlow-Ferguson, 2000, Pp. 907 – 916), (Brothers, 2005, Chapter 1) and (Ferguson Publishing, 2007, Chapters 1 -3). Thus, it is possible to reach reasonable conclusions for the problem at hand. IV.III. Data Reliability and Validity It is important that researchers ensure that they present reliable and valid data without bias from the right sources so that the right conclusions are reached from the knowledge that is created (Saunders, 2007, Chapters 1 – 2). All the data presented in this consultancy report is drawn from published government sources, reputed publications from prestigious institutions and well reputed reference works or books. Morocco is a developing country and this means that statistics are sketchy and lacking. However, data from reputed sources which are authoritative and reviewed publications enhance the reliability and validity of the data and facts presented in this report. V. Data Presentation V.I. The Education System in Morocco The basis education system in Morocco consists of six years of primary school, followed by three years of lower-middle / secondary school, three years of upper secondary school and a tertiary education (Marlow-Ferguson, 2002, Pp. 909 -910) and (Wikipedia, 2009, “Education in Morocco”). Pre-school education is for students aged from 4 years to 6 years, while those aged from 6 years to 12 years attend primary schools. Although pre-primary education in Morocco is compulsory, many students attend the Islamic religious schools or none at all. According to the Morocco Statistics Department, 11.1 percent of children ages 7 to 14 years in Morocco were working in 2000 despite education being free and compulsory for children aged between 6 – 15 years. Many children did not attend even during their compulsory schooling years because they assist their parents to earn a living (United States Department of Labor, 2009, “Morocco - Incidence and Nature of Child Labor”). The government in Morocco has tried to enforce the Compulsory Schooling Act and this has resulted in 86% of the girls and 96% of the boys enrolling in primary schools (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”). Dropout rates are high and many children in primary schools do not make it to the secondary schools, with only 11% of the population of tertiary age enrolled in tertiary institutions, as depicted in the figures below. Figure 1: Enrolment in Pre-Primary Schools in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) Figure 2: Enrolment in Primary Schools in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) Figure 3: Enrolment in Secondary Schools in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) Figure 4: Enrolment in Tertiary Education in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) Figure 5: Primary School Completion Rates in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) Figure 6: Government Spending on Education in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) Figure 7: Illiteracy Rates in Morocco (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2008, “Education in Morocco”) Arabic is the primary language of instruction in Morocco, but it competes with French and English is only taught for a few hours a week. It is said that quantitative skills, pedagogy and an outdated syllabus together with the failure of the education system to realistically address the needs of the job market has hampered the cause of education in Morocco (Diyen, 2003, “Education Reform of Secondary Schools in Morocco”).A preference for the more traditional pursuits for generating an income, poverty and the cultural ramifications derived from the Arab and Islamic culture for adhering strictly to the traditional without daring to be different constricts positive thinking and new ideas. The French colonial heritage did not help because the French administrators put in place an education system that was designed to “provide a child of a certain milieu with education that is adapted to the milieu, to keep the child there and to assist the child to fulfil his social role, however humble it might be” (Segalla, 2009, Pp. 94). Thus, the education system in Morocco was designed to only teach individuals what they had a need to know to maintain their social status, without any designs for improvement or social mobility. The elites could afford to purchase superior education if they so desired, but many chose to stay affixed to their traditional roles in the society without any desires for adventure. Farmhands begot farmhands, beggars begot beggars and traders begot traders. The emphasis, as in all Islamic societies, remained on accumulation of material wealth and to earn without investing in intellectual development or entrepreneurship that could have paid back. However, it must be said that poverty and failure to pay for education contributed to the deterioration in education and the public sector could only absorb so many. Schools were not teaching how to think or be flexible, but they were presenting individuals with memorized information for success in their lives. The descriptions presented above should present a qualitative picture about the state of education in Morocco. It is clear that the traditional thinking will require that everyone be ‘trained’ for their specific job, rather than being able to ‘fit’ into a job by using the flexible thinking skills provided to them during their schooling. Thus, it will appear that the tourism and hospitality sector will demand those who have been specifically ‘trained’ for their jobs in the sector rather than trying to accommodate thinking and working individuals. However, the jobs of lower cadre workers in the hospitality industry are unlikely to appeal to the tertiary graduates who will want management positions for which they will need exposure to the right subjects and experience. Thus, it is the secondary and trade school education that will influence the capacity of Morocco to provide the workforce for its hospitality sector. Language remains a major problem, because English and not French or Arabic is the truly international language. Thus, emphasis on English teaching is important for secondary schools that will provide the workers who must effectively interact with tourists from all over the world and not just France or the Arab world, to deliver quality service. A shortage of trade schools in the country that will take students who have completed secondary schools to train them for careers in hospitality and tourism was a cause for concern. Although the government of Morocco had established professional training establishments for hospitality and tourism, their combined capacity for training 1800 students per annum had to be increased if 2010 vision appeared to be going well (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2009, “Professional Training”). Thus, the government, supported by the private sector, acted by increasing the number of teaching places to 9300 and additional efforts were initiated to try to better estimate the actual increase in workforce requirement due to the 2010 Vision emphasis (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2007, Pp. 23) and (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2007, Pp. 12 – 16). Private hospitality management training institutes exist but it is likely that not everyone can afford the financial burden for studying in these institutions. If 600,000 new jobs are to be created in the decade leading to 2010, an additional demand of 6000 new jobs presents itself. However, this increase in hospitality jobs is likely to be more pronounced towards the year 2010. The government in Morocco estimates that about 20,000 jobs will be created in 2009 – 2010 (Ministry of Tourism, Government of Morocco, 2008, Pp. 12 – 16). Thus, the capacity of 9300 new hospitality trade school graduates will not keep up with the demand. An earlier 2003 USAID study supports the previous observation, as depicted in Table 1 below. Skilled human resources are essential for development in every sphere (Ashton, 2005, Chapter 1). However, it is important to understand that tourism demand in Morocco is subject to fluctuations due to global events and the current global recession is unlikely to help with increasing demand. Thus, the government and the private sector actors need to tread carefully. Perhaps flexible additional training capacity should be in place to be utilized if despite the global recession demand for tourism persists. Table 1: Education and Training in the Tourism / Hotels and Restaurant Cluster in Morocco according to a 2003 USAID Study (USAID, 2003, Pp. 21) Apart from availability of skilled manpower, it is important for the hospitality and tourism sector to ensure that it provides fulfilling career paths in the industry to attract workers because if careers are deemed to be unattractive, individuals will not want to commit themselves (Airey, 2005, Chapter 31). Thus, strategic frameworks and priorities for human resource management in the hospitality and tourism sector must be intelligently set and applied (Tesone, 2008, Pp. 3 – 43). V.II. Expectations and Demand for Skills in the Hospitality Sector A very wide range of careers are available in the hospitality and tourism sector, ranging from baggage porters and bellhops to tour guides, hotel concierge, executive housekeepers and ski resort workers etc (Ferguson Publishing, 2007, “Table of Contents”). Although some of the careers may appear to be mundane, it is important to understand that for international luxury class hotel, a secondary school education with a capacity for communicating and interacting with guests is likely to be required for even a baggage porter. Education is important to the individual and the organisation that the individual works with and institutions in the developed nations present courses with emphasis for culinary arts, hotel lodging and management, restaurant and foodservice or travel and tourism management (CHRIE Member Colleges and Universities, 1999, Pp. 363 – 368). Thus, a mix of on-the-job training and trade training is required, but it is essential that those who want to develop a career in the hospitality and tourism sector have at least a decent secondary education (Pizam, 2005, Pp. 624 – 630). Quality of training is important for delivering quality workers, but relevant training can only upgrade those who have previously received quality education, i.e. secondary education (Clemenz, 2001, Pp. 170 – 185). Thus it is important that secondary school education in Morocco is improved together with the quality and capacity for trade courses in the country. For the more skilled careers in the hospitality industry, a plethora of additional skills are needed and these are imparted on the job or at a vocational or trade school. It is ideal to try to carry out a survey of hospitality and tourism managers in Morocco to try to ascertain what skills and training will best meet expectations, but this could not be done due to time constraints. However, research efforts in the United States of America present hospitality and tourism industry requirements depicted in Table 2 below (Miranda, 1999, Pp. 41). It is clear that some skills are best learnt on-the-job, while other skills and foundations are imparted at a hospitality school. However, the quality of the secondary school education decides a lot about the capacity and quality for future training. Thus, Morocco needs to examine its secondary school system and to design a curriculum that will synchronise better with its 2010 Vision for hospitality and tourism, together with providing a flexible capacity building that will increase supply if the 2010 Vision is going well. Table 2: Hospitality Manager Votes for Skills needed in the Hospitality and Tourism Sector and whether these are best learnt at School or on-the job (Miranda, 1999, Pp. 41) VI. Conclusion and Recommendation VI.I. Conclusion It is clear from the previous discussion that a need exists in Morocco to try to constantly improve the curriculum, quality and capacity of education with a special emphasis on secondary education. The English language should be taught more vigorously because a majority of the tourists speak and understand this language. Those who can communicate in English are far more than those who know Arabic or French. Education needs to be attuned towards trying to create flexible and thinking individuals who can fit into the job market. Although the government in Morocco has been trying to increase training capacity for hospitality and tourism, based on projections, additional capacity should still have lagged demand for the years 2009 – 2010. However, it is important to understand that the current global recession could have disrupted tourism demand and this will distort projections. Thus, it is important to emphasise flexible capacity building for training which can be used if the 2010 Vision appears to be on target. However, it is important to enhance the quality of secondary education and to try to encourage hospitality and tourism sector employers to offer on-the-job training programs by providing incentives, such as tax relief. VI.II. Recommendation Based on the prevailing global situation, which emphasises a recession, it is important for the government in Morocco to act on the following in cooperation with the private sector: Try to bring about continuous improvement in the quality of secondary education in Morocco to produce flexible thinking and learning individuals. Emphasise vigorous teaching of English language for secondary schools students and hospitality and tourism sector workers to cater for the global tourist. Try to better ascertain the expectations of the hospitality and tourism sector for training of workforce by carrying out a survey of hospitality and tourism managers. Increase flexible capacity for teaching hospitality and tourism trade courses and improve quality of such courses to reflect needs of hospitality and tourism sector. Monitor the impact of the current global recession on the 2010 Vision for the hospitality and tourism sector and create future scenarios. Provide incentives to those operating in the Morocco hospitality and tourism sector to provide apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs. References Airey, David and Tribe, John. 2005. An International Handbook of Tourism Education. Elsevier. Alkhatib, Firas et al. 2008. Analysis of the Moroccan Tourism Cluster. Harvard Business School. Retrieved: September 22, 2009, from: http://www.isc.hbs.edu/pdf/Student_Projects/Morocco_Tourism_2008.pdf Ashton, David et al. 2005. Education and Training for Development in East Asia. Routledge. Brothers, L. & Gisler, A. 2005. Careers in travel, tourism, & hospitality, Second Edition. McGraw-Hill. CHRIE Member Colleges and Universities. 1999. 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