The National Union of Primary School Teachers in Morocco, a member of the National Education Union (FNE), has expressed concerns about the upcoming 2026-2027 school year, citing a chaotic and overcrowded environment. The union stated that the ministry's measures are not aligned with the reality of educational institutions, and there is a lack of stability and resources. This situation has led to a significant increase in workload and responsibilities for teachers.
The union emphasized that the new school year should have been an opportunity to address accumulated problems and improve the quality of public education. However, teachers are facing a deliberate attack on their profession, with a work environment characterized by confusion, pressure, and multiple procedures. The union also highlighted the ongoing crisis of overcrowding, which is affecting the quality of education and the ability of teachers to provide individualized attention to students.
The FNE union rejected the idea of addressing overcrowding through administrative measures, such as redistributing human resources or imposing centralized and forced educational maps. Instead, the union argued that the solution lies in providing sufficient human resources and creating new institutions and infrastructure. The union also expressed its opposition to the use of "extended support" as a substitute for employment and addressing teacher shortages.
The union strongly criticized the practice of assigning teachers to perform "extended support" tasks independently of teaching, in a context where there is already a severe shortage of teachers. The union argued that addressing learning difficulties requires a pedagogical approach, not measures that lead to the depletion of teaching staff and undermine educational stability. The union also rejected the idea of turning teachers into "spare wheels" to address any emerging shortages without a clear definition of their roles and working hours.
The FNE union denounced the arbitrary management of school time and the imposition of timetables that it described as "slave-like," which do not take into account the specificities of primary education or pedagogical rhythms. The union called for immediate and decisive intervention from the relevant authorities to stop the excesses of some regional directorates, which are imposing timetables with five hours of consecutive work, in clear violation of the organized school time and legal ceiling (4.5 hours).
The union emphasized that school time is not a field for administrative experimentation, and teaching is not just a matter of accumulating working hours that can be managed at will. Rather, teaching requires respect for the learner's rhythm and conditions of concentration, which necessitates adherence to the legally framed time envelope and the immediate implementation of the commitment to reduce working hours, as stipulated in the December 26, 2023, agreement.
Regarding the project of "schools of excellence," the FNE union reiterated its absolute rejection of the commodification and regulation of educational action, as well as the transformation of teachers into mere executors. The union argued that the continued implementation of this project has shifted from a desire for reform to excessive regulation of teaching action, turning the educational process into one based on ready-made recipes and formal frameworks that limit the scope of professional discretion.
Key points
- The National Union of Primary School Teachers in Morocco warns of a crisis in the education sector due to overcrowding and other issues.
- The union rejects the ministry's measures to address these issues, citing a lack of stability and resources.
- The union calls for immediate intervention to address the problems facing primary education in Morocco.
