Moroccan government and teachers agree on new education statute
The Moroccan government and the five most representative trade unions in the education sector have reached an agreement on the controversial issue of the unified status of national education officials.
The agreement, which was reached on Monday, 26 December, and initialled the following day, puts an end to the mobilisations and strikes of the national education civil servants. The new decree resulting from the negotiations will be submitted to the government and will replace the old text, which will be repealed.
One of the main points of the decree concerns the integration of the heads of the academies in charge as civil servants of the Ministry of National Education.
According to the agreement reached between the government and the trade unions, "The status of civil servant will be granted to all workers in the national education sector. They will therefore be subject to the provisions of the civil service. This decision applies to all civil servants affected by the decree of 10 February 2023 and to those recruited since 2016".
Financial measures
Among the points of the agreement affecting the education sector, some financial measures are envisaged, such as access for some civil servants classified outside the scale to the 1,000 dirham monthly allowances approved on 10 December 2023; the possibility of receiving overtime allowances in the framework of school support to compensate for the hours lost due to strikes; an increase in supplementary allowances for associate teachers; or various salary supplements for school guidance counsellors and those who have voluntarily participated in the Schools of Excellence project.
Also in financial terms, the Moroccan government commits to study an improvement in the income of primary, secondary and higher education teachers, as well as to transfer the expenses related to the payment of the salaries of civil servants recruited since 2016 to the "civil servants' expenses" chapter.
Status of civil servants
Among the measures highlighted in the agreement concerning the status of civil servants, the creation of a new corps of national education administrators, with a study of the possibility of improving their income, stands out.
The number of teaching hours will also be reviewed, studying the possibility of reducing the number of teachers and reducing timetables, and the situation of civil servants with a master's degree, higher education degree or doctorate will be regularised, opening up an annual professional competition so that they can gain access to the higher echelons.
Another measure approved by the government and the unions concerns education officials working in remote or isolated areas, who will be paid an annual bonus of a maximum of 5,000 dirhams from the 2024-2025 season. The possibility of providing them with a living space in schools will also be explored, in coordination with the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social Works in Education and Training.
This Foundation will also be responsible for supporting and assisting education officials who have been victims of the earthquake that took place a few months ago in the Al Haouz region.
Both parties, government and trade unions, have also committed to maintain active dialogue to address salary issues and ensure proper working conditions, with the aim of maintaining the right of pupils to receive a quality education.
