Moroccan government settles long-term differences and lagging procedure with public education workers

The Moroccan government has settled its differences with education professionals and will undertake the implementation of the agreements the ministry has reached with representative educational unions back on January 18, after months of discussions and consultations.

According to the interim agreement the two parties signed, the government will “settle the files of four categories of educational frameworks, after amending a number of decrees regulating their work under the ministry,” said government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas.

The official said that during the government council this Thursday, February 10, officials from the executive approved draft decrees authorizing the activation of the agreements.

The draft decrees deal with a number of education professionals’ biggest and demands, namely the settlement of the legal and administrative status of a number of worker categories.

Among the draft decrees is also a law proposal that aims to regulate the creation and organization of regional centers for the professions of education and training, and a draft decree relating to the establishment of a new body, the Center for Guidance and Educational Planning.

Baitas said that with this approval, “four main claims within the sector have reached a settlement with the ministry of education.”

The first settlement concerned the case of educational administration frameworks from educational administrators.

In addition, the second decree pertaining to the case of educational advisors also saw its requirements defined, through new reviewed access conditions, in addition to graduates of the guidance and educational planning corps, the 2020-2022 academic year, starting from September 1, 2022.

The official added that a third pending case, relating to the promotion of advisors in educational guidance and planning, who are currently ranked in the second degree, ladder 10, by granting them legal seniority of four years, calculated for promotion by selection in the first degree of the same newly passed legislation.

Baitas revealed that the settlement of the file of primary and middle school teachers who are assigned to teach outside their original corps, will take place through the appointment of these teachers within the framework of the qualifying secondary education professor, after undergoing special training in regional centers for education and training, and successfully passing their final exams.

Those who succeed in this examination are appointed to the rank corresponding to their original training of qualified secondary level education teachers, while maintaining the same position in rank and seniority, and benefiting from administrative seniority of two years without material effect, which will count towards promotion in the rank.

As for the file of teaching staff holding higher degrees, Baitas stated that “it will be addressed through the adoption of measures represented in creating the positions required within the Finance bill.”

Chakib Benmoussa, Minister of National Education said that the decrees approved fall within the framework of “a comprehensive reform of the educational system,” which aims to “enable students to receive quality and equitable education, and improve teachers’ working conditions and their social status.”

Benmoussa added that the ambition of reform “cannot be achieved if the faculty and the teaching profession are not rehabilitated, through the development of human capital working in the sector, reviewing employment standards, attracting competencies, basic and continuous training of the faculty, and ensuring their motivation.”