Announcement made during First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn Visit to Morocco
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 28, 2016 – The U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) today announced a nearly $100 million commitment toward a new model of secondary education in Morocco. This investment is included as part of MCC’s Employability and Land Compact grant agreement signed in 2015, and the announcement comes during First Lady Michelle Obama’s visit to Morocco as part of the Let Girls Learn initiative.
“In Morocco, too many children do not stay in school to get the skills they need to support their families,” said Kyeh Kim, MCC acting vice president for compact operations, who visited Morocco alongside the First Lady. “By focusing on secondary education, MCC can create greater opportunities for Moroccan students while supporting economic growth and poverty reduction across the country.”
Despite important progress by the Government of Morocco to reduce gender gaps in school enrollment and achievement, many girls in Morocco continue to face challenges to completing their education and getting the skills they need to enter and stay in the workforce. Adolescent girls are often at a particular disadvantage because of a lack of sufficient infrastructure in schools, such as adequate bathrooms or locker rooms, and a risk of gender-based violence at school.
MCC’s nearly $100 million investment is expected to benefit about 100,000 Moroccan students, including 50,000 adolescent girls, by improving their learning environments with activities like mentoring programs; internships; after-school clubs; updating school buildings and bathrooms for girls; and gender-responsive training for teachers and administrators to transform the way curriculum is delivered and how schools are managed. This new model for middle and high school education will be introduced in approximately 100 Moroccan schools.
Included in this investment is a newly announced $4.6 million Education for Employability Partnership Fund that will engage the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop innovative programs for middle and high school students that address the unique needs of girls and work to reduce social and gender inequalities in Morocco. The Fund is a unique opportunity for the private sector and NGOs to bring their expertise to the table to improve education for adolescent girls in Morocco and empower them to transition from school to high-quality jobs in the country’s growing economy.
MCC and the Government of Morocco signed the Employability and Land Compact grant agreement in 2015 in part to improve the quality of education and workforce participation as part of a broader, transformative investment in Morocco’s education sector.
Read our fact sheet to learn more.
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The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an independent U.S. Government agency working to reduce global poverty through economic growth. Created in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to poor countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, from fighting corruption to respecting democratic rights. Learn more about MCC at www.mcc.gov.