Moroccan Teachers Continue Strikes Over Promotion Policy

Rabat – The Organization of Teachers Holding Higher Education Diplomas announced plans to prolong their strike for a second week. The teachers began striking on Monday, December 2.

The strike is coupled with protests in front of the Moroccan Parliament in Rabat. The latest public demonstration took place on Monday, December 9, and resulted in clashes between protesters and the police.

The organization justified the lengthening of the strike with the “unresponsiveness of the Ministry of Education and the oppression that protesters suffer from.”

The teachers want an end to the ministry’s new promotion policy, launched in 2015.

The new policy introduced written and oral tests for teachers who seek a promotion. The previous policy ensured promotion for teachers who obtain a higher education diploma upon completion of an interview.

On December 9, the organization started their demonstration in front of the Ministry of Education’s headquarters. At the start of the protests, the teachers carried a fake birthday cake symbolizing the fourth anniversary of the protests that started in 2015.

“It is unbelievable that teachers holding higher education diplomas complete the same duties as their colleagues, but do not have the right of [automatic] promotion,” said Abdelouahab Shimi, a member of the coordination.

After several hours of protests in front of the ministry’s headquarters, protesters started moving towards the parliament. During the march, protesters clashed with the police, resulting in five injuries among the teachers.

After the clashes, protesters started repeating: “Fewer police, more schools.”

In front of the parliament, the protesters removed their shoes and socks and started walking barefoot to express the “poor situation of teachers” in Morocco.

The protests continue despite the Ministry of Education making promises back in February 2019 to find answer the teachers’ demands.

Following the protests, the National Organization for Contractual Teachers, who also carry out regular strikes, released a statement expressing their solidarity with their colleagues.

The ongoing demonstrations and strikes illustrate the difficult situation that the Ministry of Education faces.

On December 3-4, contractual teachers went on a nationwide strike, calling for the same rights as teachers on permanent contracts. The strike came a few weeks after the organization’s meeting with Minister of Education Said Amzazi to find a resolution.

It remains to be seen if the Ministry of Education will be able to defuse the situation and convince the protesting teachers to go back to their classes.