An agreement reached between the Moroccan Education Ministry and teachers was short-lived after instructors refused to return to work, a move that could create more tension in the coming days.
The Education Ministry announced on Monday that it had struck a deal with the country’s contractual teachers, who have been protesting for more than five weeks over their working conditions.
Member of the National Coordination of “the Forcibly Contracted Teachers,” Mohamad Rougane said teachers decided to extend the protest against the failure of the Education Ministry to respect the deal, which was reached between the two parties during their meeting last Saturday.
A press release issued following the meeting said that “after serious and responsible discussion among all parties, it was agreed to suspend all administrative and legal measures taken against some teachers.”
In a telephone call with Asharq Al-Awsat, Rougane said, “Teachers were surprised on Monday when they returned to work and were asked to sign documents on the resumption of work and to justify their absence."
Rougane accused the Ministry of breaching the agreement.
Meanwhile, the five unions that have been most involved with the contractual teachers’ protests called on Tuesday for a one-week strike, starting April 22, along with a sit-in.
The five unions include the Democratic Labor Confederation’s National Education Union (SNE-CDT), the Democratic Labor Federation’s National Education Union (SNE-FDT), the National Teaching Federation (FNE), the National Federation of Teachers (UNMT) and the Moroccan National Coordination of Teachers Forced into Teaching Contracts (CNPCC).
In their statement, the unions held the government of Saad Eddine El Othmani and the Education Ministry responsible for the ongoing tension between the two sides.
They demanded the government to meet their demands and to hold a real dialogue that can produce concrete results.
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