Rabat- Over 17,000 candidates have been admitted to take Morocco’s teacher recruitment test for this year, the Ministry of Education announced on Thursday.
In a statement on its website, the ministry published further details about the selected candidates, noting the representation of all the country’s regions.
1932 candidates were selected in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region, 1389 in the eastern region, 1872 in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, 3030 in the Casablanca region, and 2537 in the Marrakech-Safi region.
Additionally, 1215 candidates were selected in Agadir’s Sous Massa region, 109 in the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, 343 in Guelmim-Oued Noun, 1422 in Beni Mellal-Khenifra, 201 for Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, 1233 in Draa-Tafilalet, and 1717 in the Fez-Meknes region.
The ministry’s recent reforms received major backlash from Moroccans, with many taking issue with the new age limit that excludes people aged above 30 from seeking a career in education.
As part of the reform, the age limit for applying for a career in public education has been set to 30 years old, down from 40-45 years in previous recruitment campaigns.
Read also: Education Minister Announces New Method to Regulate Teaching Profession
In addition, the ministry revealed that, starting from September 2022, Morocco will adopt a new method to regulate the teaching profession.
Students “will be selected after obtaining a baccalaureate degree to pursue their studies in education sciences, and the basic training will be taken in three years to obtain the bachelor’s degree, after which they will go to the regional training centers,” said Chakib Benmoussa, the Minister of Education, Preschool and Sports.
The government’s new recruitment measures triggered a minor storm of indignation in many cities across the country, with observers and many candidates for the teaching positions especially denouncing the new age limit as discriminatory.
Despite nationwide protests, Benmoussa has maintained that the reform is a painful but necessary step forward for Morocco’s education system.
Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch has also spoken in support of the Education Minister.
In a speech he gave earlier this month in the House of Representatives, Akhannouch noted his firm belief in the new education minister’s vision and methodology as he sets out to considerably shake old conventions to reform Morocco’s education sector.
