Rabat – While the government announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement with five of the most representative teachers’ unions in the country, the National Assembly is calling on teachers to extend their ongoing strike.
In a statement on Monday, the National Assembly for Moroccan teachers called on teachers to extend their strike to December 26, 27, 28, and 29.
Posted on their official Facebook page, the statement says that the assembly rejects the government’s strategy of “addressing issues related to only some segments of teachers.”
The statement was issued shortly after Education Minister Chakib Benmoussa announced that the government has reached an agreement with five teachers’ unions, adding that the agreement will be signed on Tuesday.
Teachers in Morocco have been striking for almost three months protesting the education ministry’s decision to implement a new reform which they said adds more workload for teachers without offering any financial incentive.
In response to the ongoing strike that had crippled the country’s education system, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch chaired a meeting on December 10 in Rabat and inked an agreement to raise salaries for teachers in Morocco by MAD 1500 ($149).
The decision did little to quell teachers’ anger as they demanded a more significant raise alongside a handful of reforms that included capping the number of working hours to 18 a week.
Teachers have even said that the labor unions negotiating with the government no longer represent them.
Estimates indicate that 35% of public school teachers are taking part in the strike, threatening the education quality for millions of Moroccan students as the strikes continue.
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