Praise be to God

Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to send you this message at the opening of this important symposium, which is bringing together representatives of the national education system and experts from Morocco and abroad. I commend your choice of the symposium's topic "The school and civic behaviour". This is the best way for the Higher Education Council to start its public activities.

The virtues of civic conduct must be ingrained in everyday life, whether at individual, community or institutional level. Such an objective is not only mandated by the sweeping changes affecting value systems and cultural standards in today's world, but it is also in keeping with the special importance I attach to education and to its role in the development of the country's most important asset, namely its youth and civic-minded population.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The ultimate goal sought from the promotion of civic behaviour is to bring up citizens who are committed to the immutable religious and national values of their country, who respect its fundamental symbols and open cultural principles, who are deeply attached to their varied, yet cohesive identity, who are proud of who they are, and who have a deep awareness of their rights and obligations. Similarly, the aim is to sensitize them about the importance of fruitful, independent judgment, and to enhance their awareness of their duties towards themselves, their families and society in general. These citizens must, as well, be committed to the values of tolerance, solidarity and coexistence in order to participate, with confidence and optimism in their country's democratic life, showing a keen sense of initiative and self-reliance.

These lofty objectives are in line with my overall goal of building a nation based on responsible citizenship, democracy, solidarity, the rule of law and adherence to universal values.
 
These are the same fundamental principles which inspire the major projects I have been spearheading, be it in the area of human rights, social democracy, restructuring of the religious domain, education reform, modernization of the communication sector, moralization of public life, or promotion of family and child-related matters.

In parallel, there has been a resolute attempt to break with uncivic practices and all forms of intolerance, extremism and seclusion, regardless of the ideology inspiring them, or the social motivations underlying them, homegrown or otherwise.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Promoting civic conduct is a pressing demand in today's world. Yet, such a task lies primarily with education systems, whose responsibilities and role cannot be overestimated.

More than any other institution, the school must, at all times, remain open to its environment, and promote an educational approach which makes society the school's prime concern. Such a basic policy, from which society in general, and youth, in particular, stand to benefit, requires stronger interaction and linkages between social, cultural and economic actors.

Hence, the policy designed to promote civic behaviour and responsible citizenship - both of which have a direct bearing on the educational system must take into account five main considerations:

First, there has to be general agreement that the school is a reflection of what tomorrow's society will look like, and that the protection of society starts with the protection of the school itself. Such a belief would make caring for civic behaviour a natural, permanent duty, rather than a transient, temporary concern.

Viewed from this perspective, civic conduct essentially calls for respecting the values, rules and regulations governing social life. It is, therefore, the duty of public authorities and of society - especially education actors - to make sure schools and universities serve as forums for learning and good citizenship. As such, they should be protected against all sorts of tactics and manoeuvres that have nothing to do with education's lofty aims.

Second, civic conduct should be viewed as a full-fledged, closely-knit moral and ethical system, which develops in two different directions:

First, there is the strong commitment to full-fledged citizenship: it is based on the ability to enjoy basic rights and to fulfil individual and collective obligations;

and second, there is the need to confront uncivic behaviour by fighting all forms of violence, deceit, corruption, improper conduct and immoral practices; the impact of these perils is even more deleterious when educational institutions are affected.

Third, reliance on education to promote civic behaviour means schools should be able to reflect such behaviour in both theory and practice, and to transform belief in civic conduct into concrete reality, particularly as schools are not only social organizations dedicated to the proper upbringing of youth, but they are also institutions which seek to preserve specific value systems.

To enable the school to discharge this mission in an optimal manner, curricula and teaching materials should encompass, in simplified, innovative ways, the concepts, values and regulations underlying civic behaviour. Acquiring those concepts and living by those values should be a smooth process, which means the stakeholders concerned will have to work hard and to show a great deal of creativity and resourcefulness.

Promoting civic behaviour should have natural and practical extensions in educational spaces, both inside schools as well as in their immediate environment. Schools and universities should thus set the example as far as responsible citizenship and respect for the rule of law are concerned. They should also reflect the principles of democracy, and serve as forums where cultural, sport and creative activities can thrive.

Similarly, educationists are called upon to discharge their mission as carefully as possible, and to reflect the synergy between the cognitive, instructional mission of the school and its educational task, especially with respect to highlighting the school's role model, enhancing commitment and vigilance, and promoting participation in the development of up-to-date training programs.

The fourth consideration is related to the fact that promotion of civicminded behaviour is a collective social responsibility to be shouldered by the education system in .conjunction with the family, the media and educational, cultural and, other supervision institutions.

The school's role is essential, given the special importance the school has in the life of each individual, and the length of time he or she spends there. This does not mean, however, that he other social actors should refrain from playing their part. It shows, rather, that roles are complementary, though functions may be different.

The fifth and last element is that promotion of civic-minded behaviour should be viewed as a permanent, horizontal and constantly evolving undertaking, which calls for observation, follow-up, encouragement of good initiatives, generalization of good practices, as well as promotion of creativity and educational research.

Hence, the efficiency of the educational system should be assessed not only in light of its ability to constantly improve the system and upgrade the skills and qualifications concerned, but also in light of its ability to foster civic behaviour and embed it in daily practice, refine people's taste, and promote high social standards among youth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

These are, in my view, the basic requirements we should keep in mind in the challenging task of promoting responsible civic behaviour. I am sure these aspects will be further examined during your proceedings.

The momentum generated by the social reforms the country has witnessed as much as by the process of reforming our education system has led to significant achievements in the area of fostering responsible citizenship and the protection of human rights. Needless to say, we must consolidate those achievements and build on them.

I personally believe that the exchange of views - however different they may be - and the collective, result-oriented approach as well as the open attitude towards national expertise and leading experiences which characterize the work of the Higher Council for Education will lead to the development of a national, comprehensive framework of action, in coordination with the government sectors concerned. The aim is to promote civic behaviour in our educational institutions, and to start implementing this project as of the next academic year. This would reflect the keen interest I take in promoting responsible citizenship, in which citizens are capable of striking a balance between rights and obligations, while living up to their responsibilities, relating to others and embracing the world around them.

I wish you every success.

Thank you.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.

Mohammed VI King of Morocco

The Royal Palace, Fez, 21 May 2007