Rabat – Morocco did not raise the maximum age for teacher recruitment to 45 because candidates entering the profession at that age would have only 18 years of active service before retiring, government spokesperson Samir Belfqih said on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference following the government council meeting, Belfqih said the government had responded to calls to raise the recruitment age from 35 to 40 but remained cautious about extending it further.
The spokesperson said the government was taking demands to raise the limit to 45 seriously, adding that the issue had been discussed with the most representative education unions.
However, he explained that the government had settled on 40 after considering the impact of a higher recruitment age on teachers’ careers.
“Imagine that a teacher who enters the profession at 45 would work for only 18 years,” Belfqih said, referring to the retirement age of 63.
He also said that raising the age limit to 45 could reduce employment opportunities for younger graduates entering the teaching profession.
The debate comes amid repeated calls from education unions and groups representing excluded candidates to remove age restrictions on teacher recruitment.
Critics of the current limit argue that it prevents graduates who pursued further education or entered the job market later in life from accessing public teaching positions.
In August, the National Coordination of Candidates Excluded from Teacher Recruitment Competitions renewed its call for the government to align the recruitment age with the broader public service framework.
The group argued that the age limit should not prevent qualified candidates from competing for teaching positions.
The discussion comes as Morocco prepares a new teacher recruitment competition for the 2026-2027 training year. The Ministry of National Education has announced 15,590 positions for candidates seeking admission to regional education and training centers.
Applications opened this week and will remain available until November 19. Written examinations are scheduled for November 28.
The recruitment drive will cover primary, middle, and secondary education, with successful candidates expected to undergo training before joining the public education system.
While the government has confirmed the increase to 40, a further extension to 45 is still under discussion, with officials weighing public demands against the need to ensure an adequate period of professional service before retirement.
