Morocco seeks to train primary school teachers working outside their original posts for secondary integration

Morocco’s Ministry of National Education is moving to expand a training program aimed at integrating primary and middle school teachers currently working outside their original posts into the secondary education system.

In a circular sent to regional education authorities, Moulay Ahmed El Karimi, director of training and skills development at the Morocco Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, asked regional academies to submit the names and requests of teachers interested in the program by March 10.

The initiative targets teachers from the primary and middle school levels who have been assigned to teach outside their original grade levels and wish to benefit from specialized training that would allow them to formally transition into the secondary education track.

Regional academies were also asked to provide a certified list of eligible teachers who have not previously benefited from the training, along with a separate Excel file containing their information.

According to the ministry, the process is part of efforts to implement the Dec. 26, 2023 agreement on education sector reforms and to apply provisions of Decree No. 2.24.140 issued in February 2024, which establishes a new statute for employees of the ministry, particularly Article 85 concerning professional integration.

An official at the Marrakech-Safi Regional Academy of Education and Training said teachers who can prove they worked outside their original post for at least four years may qualify for a change in professional status after completing the training.

The current request for applications specifically concerns teachers who previously did not express interest in the program but now wish to participate.

Education observers say the practice of assigning teachers outside their original posts has largely been driven by shortages at the high school level.

Mustapha El Kahma, a high school teacher, said the ministry has struggled to maintain a complete count of teachers assigned outside their original posts, prompting the current effort to compile updated lists.

He noted that a shortage of high school teachers has historically led authorities to rely on teachers from primary and middle schools. Earlier regulatory changes allowed those who had served long periods in such assignments to be gradually integrated into the secondary education track through training and examinations.

However, the latest reform of the ministry’s employment statute in February 2024 removed a provision that had explicitly prohibited assigning teachers outside their original posts, creating what some observers describe as a legal gap while shortages persist.

Education analysts say the long-term solution would be to increase recruitment for secondary school teaching positions to fully cover staffing needs rather than relying on temporary assignments from other levels.