Moroccan medical students end historic year-long boycott

Medical students announced Friday they had reached a settlement with the Ministries of Higher Education and Health, under the Kingdom’s Mediator, to end a year-long boycott.

The deal, finalized late Thursday, followed a vote in which students agreed to end their open-ended strike.

The settlement addressed most of the demands that triggered the strike, which began on Dec. 16, 2023, and became the longest student protest in global history that saw a series of expulsions, suspensions, and legal actions.

Students said they would return to their studies “honored and strengthened,” pledging to contribute to Morocco’s medical education and healthcare systems.

The agreement came after Thursday’s vote, in which 57.8% supported the decision to suspend the open-ended strike, with a participation rate exceeding 90%.

One of the main points of contention that deepened the protests was the exclusion of the 2023/2024 cohort from a resolution regarding the seventh academic year.

Under the government’s proposal, previous cohorts will be exempt from the March 2023 decision and will follow earlier regulations.

However, the 2023/2024 cohort will be subject to the new decision upon enrollment. The new policy includes an option for clinical training before defending their thesis and extends clinical training for sixth-year students to 44 weeks, adding family medicine training.

Minister Azzedine Elmidaoui said any harmful decisions could be revisited, and future actions would involve all university stakeholders based on their effectiveness.

He also confirmed that any past decisions violating this principle would be reexamined to ensure quality.

Disciplinary actions against student representatives were lifted, with universities starting the process to reinstate students.

The government also raised financial allowances, offering 1,200 dirhams for third to fifth-year students and 2,400 dirhams for sixth and seventh-year students, totaling 100,800 dirhams for the entire program, up from 54,240 dirhams.

Universities will schedule exceptional exams for each semester, with three possible exam session scenarios, ensuring students have a fair opportunity to complete their assessments.