Marrakech – The decision to involve teachers in the upcoming 2024 General Population and Housing Census has ignited a heated debate across Morocco’s educational landscape.
With the new school year set to commence on September 2, concerns are mounting over the potential impact of this overlap on the smooth running of schools.
The census, scheduled to take place from September 1 to September 30, will see a significant number of teachers participating in the nationwide data collection effort.
While the Ministry of National Education and Preschool and Sports has given the green light for teachers to take part based on their requests, the move has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters.
Prominent human rights activist Aziz Ghali, president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, took to social media to express his strong disapproval of teachers’ involvement in the census.
In a series of posts on his personal Facebook account, Ghali argued that “a teacher’s place at the beginning of September is in the classroom, for the best interests of the students and the image of public schools, not in the census.”
His comments, which included referring to participating teachers as “thirsty,” have sparked outrage among the teaching community.
The ministry, however, maintains that it has taken all necessary measures to ensure a smooth start to the school year.
According to a senior official from the Ministry of National Education and Preschool and Sports, who spoke to SNRTnews, the ministry has allowed a number of teachers to participate in the census based on their requests, in an effort to ensure the success of this major national operation.
The official emphasized that the start date of the 2024/2025 school year will not be subject to any change, and that the ministry has prepared all necessary measures at the level of regional academies and provincial directorates to manage human resources during the census period.
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The official further noted that teachers have always been a key element in carrying out all general population and housing census operations in Morocco since 1960, with the 2024 census being the seventh in the country’s history.
The controversy has also drawn in teachers’ unions and educational experts, who have weighed in on the potential ramifications of teachers’ absence during the crucial first weeks of the academic year.
Teachers’ unions have weighed in on the controversy, with some dismissing the debate as “superficial and sterile.”
They have expressed opposition to any attack on teachers, emphasizing that participation in the census is optional and has not been imposed on anyone.
Unions maintain that the impact on the start of the school year is being addressed by ministerial measures.
Educational experts have acknowledged that the full extent of the impact remains unknown, but they have confidence in the teaching community’s ability to overcome any challenges.
However, concerns are particularly acute at the primary school level, where the absence of even a single teacher can affect an entire class.
A student coming from summer vacation loses a lot of information, especially struggling students, so they need follow-up and support in September, they argued.
Experts also warn that the absence of teachers in September, a month typically dedicated to assessment and diagnosing students’ levels, could push students directly into academic achievement without proper evaluation, significantly impacting them for the rest of the year.
The underlying issue
At the heart of the controversy lies the question of the participation of public sector employees in the 2024 census.
Some argue that the opportunity to participate should be extended to a larger proportion of unemployed individuals and students, which would not only enhance their experiences but also allow them to benefit from the significant financial compensation provided to participants in the operation.
According to data provided by the High Commission for Planning, out of the 500,000 applications received, only 200,000 candidates were selected based on the commission’s training capacity.
The selection process was conducted automatically, taking into account educational level and professional experience, while considering the needs of the census operations.
Interestingly, the initial selection revealed that the proportion of candidate civil servants did not exceed 19% of the total number of candidates. Degree holders constituted 42%, followed by higher education students at 29%, employees at 8%, and retirees at 2%.
However, the final selection of 55,000 qualified researchers, who will receive face-to-face training during the current month of August, just before the start of the field census operations, has turned the equation upside down.
An analysis of the data provided by the High Commission for Planning shows that 42% of the qualified candidates are civil servants, while higher degree holders constitute only 38%, students 18%, and retirees and private sector employees only 2%.
It appears that the selection process favored civil servant candidates based on the selection criteria, which, according to Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, take into account professional experience.
The High Commissioner for Planning, Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, emphasized the importance of training the human system, considering it a decisive factor in the success of the General Population and Housing Census, as reported by Maghreb Arab Press Agency.
He pointed out that the High Commission for Planning has established an information system to select the most suitable participants for the roles of researchers, controllers, and supervisors, who will constitute the human resources for the 2024 census.
