Education Minister holds meeting with five teaching unions

Morocco’s Education Minister Chakib Benmoussa chaired a meeting on Friday in Rabat. This high-level committee gathering focused on sectoral social dialogue and involved representatives from the five most prominent teaching sector unions.

Attendees included Mohamed Khafifi, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Union of Education; Younes Firachine, Secretary-General of the National Syndicate of Education; Youssef Allakouch, Secretary-General of the Free Federation of Education; Abdellah Ghmimat, Secretary-General of the National Federation of Education; and Sadik Rghioui, Secretary-General of the National Syndicate of Education. The Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports confirmed this in a communiqué.

This meeting marks a continuation of the participatory approach and joint efforts between the ministry and teaching sector unions. It follows previous social dialogue stages, which resulted in the signing of significant agreements on December 10 and 26, 2023, and the publication of a new status for ministry employees. The gathering aimed to strengthen coordinated efforts for effectively implementing the new provisions.

A critical issue discussed was the organization of transfer movements, a significant concern within the social dialogue agreements, crucial for various employee categories. The meeting also reviewed achievements and future work prospects, focusing on pedagogical reform and fulfilling commitments from sectoral social dialogue.

Minister Benmoussa highlighted the ministry’s commitment to public school reform through the 2022-2026 roadmap, which aims to introduce pedagogical reforms in classrooms. He outlined three strategic objectives: enhancing students’ mastery of basic learning, fostering openness and value absorption, and reducing school dropout rates.

For the new status implementation, Benmoussa reported that 24 of the planned 43 regulatory texts have been approved, with four in the approval process and 15 in preparation. He emphasized significant progress in managing employees’ administrative situations, noting the operationalization of social dialogue commitments, including integration, salary increases, promotions, allowance payments, status changes, tenure, and settlement of 2022 promotion allowances.

Addressing the needs of teachers in remote areas and organizing the National Teacher Forum in September to promote the profession and its attractiveness were also key points.

The participatory approach will guide the overall organization of transfer movements, involving viewpoint exchanges to develop proposals and recommendations for new decisions to improve the system.

Union representatives praised the swift implementation of measures and status application, underscoring the importance of comprehensive education and training system reforms to effect significant public school changes and enhance its positive impact on students. They called for accelerated execution of the new status’s organizational plan and improvements to the transfer movement system.

The meeting fostered a positive exchange, reinforcing the dynamic for continued joint action with representative unions for pedagogical reform implementation and status operationalization within organizational and management priorities, adhering to deadlines. Minister Benmoussa responded favorably to union requests to resolve the situation of suspended teachers swiftly.