Rabat – A recent legislation has indefinitely resolved the contractual teachers’ case, said Morocco’s Minister of National Education Chakib Benmoussa on Monday.
The proposed legislation, identified as draft law No. 03.24, aims to amend law No. 07.00, which established regional academies for education and training.
The development follows unanimous approval by the Education, Culture, and Communication Committee of the House of Representatives on Monday.
Morocco first adopted the contractual system in 2016 to address the shortage of teachers. Since then, the government hired teachers from regional academies under one-year renewable contracts.
Contractual teachers, however, have been holding a series of strikes, calling for equal employment rights similar to other public sector employees.
Speaking of the new amendment, Benmousa said that the primary goal of the law is to “restore the status of this category of employees,” ensuring they are subject to the same basic system and are enjoying equal rights and duties as other public sector employees.
The move comes as a response to the demands and expectations of contracted academics, who have long felt discriminated against compared to other ministry employees, he explained.
The shift to hiring teachers on a contractual basis led to widespread protests and boycotts of teachers’ entry exams, as teachers said they were denied a package of benefits offered to other public sector employees.
Minister Benmoussa added that granting employees the status is not merely a symbolic gesture but a substantive step toward aligning the contractual academics with the same legal and systemic framework as other ministry employees.
The draft law will regulate employment, appointment, and registration within the academy, outlining specific grades and conditions that apply.
The proposed legal changes are part of a broader strategy to implement agreements signed on December 10 and 26, 2023. The agreements, developed under the supervision of the Prime Minister, involved the most representative educational unions in a sectoral social dialogue.
The minister highlighted the necessity of reviewing the existing legal framework, specifically Article 11 of law No. 07.00, which was replaced by a decree-law (No. 2.23.781) on October 5, 2023.
The legal shift is seen as an acknowledgment of the developments resulting from dialogue with educational unions, making the previous legal provisions obsolete.
The proposed law not only sets the foundation for implementing a new basic system for ministry employees but also aligns with the educational reform roadmap (2022-2026).
Minister Benmoussa emphasized that the legislative move is crucial for the renewal of teaching, training, and management professions, ensuring the adaptability of basic systems for various professional categories while maintaining the interdependence between rights and duties.
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