After three months of teacher strikes, an agreement was signed on Tuesday, December 26, between the government and five teacher unions involved in the negotiations. While a new status in public schools initially triggered this deep crisis among Moroccan teachers, the signing unions and the ministerial commission responsible for the overall reform of Moroccan public schools are now calling for the resumption of classes.
Overcrowded classrooms, lack of heating in winter, and low salaries: for 12 weeks, negotiations on the teacher status allowed unions to highlight working conditions. On Tuesday, unions and the ministry agreed on a document confirming the unification of the teacher status. In exchange, the strikers obtained, among other things, an increase in the salary of all education civil servants, averaging from 480 euros to 630 euros per month.
The government also agreed to pay a flat-rate allowance to striking teachers who, according to union organizations, lost entire months of salaries. The age limit of 30 years to join the profession is also removed, improving the attractiveness of the profession.
Education Minister Chakib Benmoussa stated that it is now time to think about the students. He aims to “make up for lost time with the strike so that they can have every chance to succeed in their academic year.”