Morocco’s government plans to raise the maximum age for candidates seeking to join the teaching profession to 40, up from the current 35-year limit.
Reports have quoted Minister of National Education Mohamed Nabil Benabdellah as announcing the news during his presentation on his ministry’s draft sub-budget for the 2027 fiscal year before the House of Representatives’ Education, Culture, and Communication Committee.
Benabdellah’s announcement comes as part of his ministry’s pledges to review the age requirement for entering the teaching profession. Benabdellah, however, said that the review would take into account several requirements.
The announcement comes a few days after he said his government’s readiness to review the age requirement currently in place.
Following his appointment as Minister of Education in October, Moroccan television channel Al Oula invited Benabdellah to a special program to speak about his government’s programs. In the interview, he said, “Everything that we can address, we will do as soon as possible. Whether it concerns the age limit, I can tell you from now that I am willing to review the age requirement currently in place.”
He added that what he could say was that the age limit would change and increase.
The announcement comes amid repeated protests by teachers who opposed the decision.
The Moroccan government capped the maximum age for recruitment into public schools at 30 years old in November 2021, a controversial reform that sparked backlash and protests from teaching enthusiasts.
In October 2025, the ministry officially raised the age limit for candidates applying to Morocco’s teacher qualification exams from 30 to 35 years.
