The Moroccan government agreed to the demands of four schoolteacher unions on Monday to halt the contentious Fundamental System for teachers and to review their proposals for a “new fundamental law,” alleviating tensions that had been building for more than two months and to avert more strikes.
Following Monday’s meeting, head of government Aziz Akhannouch said that the government is making efforts to improve teachers’ financial situation, but that salary deductions would continue this month because the administrative procedure to accomplish that had already been completed.
Akhannouch committed to ensuring that the new fundamental law would be released by January 15, 2024, after deliberations over the next few months by a ministerial commission.
The new provision is the result of negotiations in which all parties acknowledged the need to reevaluate the remuneration scheme for teachers and improve wages over all in the education sector.
Teachers in Morocco had expressed deep dissatisfaction with the previous new law, which they considered unfair and detrimental to their profession. They argued that the law had failed to address long-standing issues in the educational sector and continued glaring injustices.
Among their laundry list of concerns were the lack of salary increases, unfulfilled promises of bonuses and benefits, and the unequal treatment of contract teachers as compared to teachers affiliated with the ministry. Other areas of concern had included the promotion structure, teaching hours, and removal of the age condition for the entrance exam.
The ministerial commission, comprised of the Minister of National Education, Chakib Benmoussa; the Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, Fouzi Lekjaa; and the Minister of Labor and Economic Integration, Younes Sekkouri, will have its first meeting this Thursday and will convene twice a week to discuss the matter until it issues the new plan in January.