Rabat – Live streams and videos of students holding protests in several cities are sweeping social networks in Morocco amid calls from contractual teachers for others in the education sector to protest with them.
Students from different cities are striking to show solidarity with their teachers after the protest on March 15.
Contractual teachers carried out the protest, calling for their integration in the public sector. The teachers, who describe themselves as “forcibly contracted teachers” have been requesting integration since 2019.
After Morocco’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance signed a partnership to recruit educators under contract, the backlash from teaching communities began.
A few years after the partnership, teachers expressed concerns regarding “inequality” between themselves and their colleagues in the public sector.
Since 2019, teachers have been taking to the street to protest their status and to call for their inclusion in the public sector.
The latest protest took place on March 15, when anti-riot police used violence to disperse the demonstration.
Police ended the protest due to restrictions and preventive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The violent approach in the protest sparked uproar among activists, teachers, and students.
Students in different cities across Morocco are holding their school bags and small banners to express solidarity with their teachers.
Slogans shouted during the protest, including, “dignity for students and teachers” and calling for the protection of teachers.
In Facebook groups, students are sharing live streams and videos of the protests in several cities, including Kelaa des Sraghna, a town in central Morocco, and Azilal, central Morocco.
Several education unions and coordination committees are calling for strikes to protest the security approach used during the March 15 protest.
Read Also: Morocco’s Contractual Teachers: National Coordination Calls for 3-Day Strike
The National Coordination of “forcibly contracted teachers” released a statement on Sunday, calling for a three-day strike, starting today.
Other unions called for regional protests across the country on Thursday to show solidarity with teachers.
Hashtags, including #protect_teachers_in_Morocco, are also going viral to express support for contractual teachers and their cause.
