Education Minister pledges to raise teacher recruitment age limit, improve preschool conditions

Morocco’s Education Ministry plans to raise the maximum age for candidates taking teacher recruitment exams above the current 35-year limit, Education Minister Nabil Benabdellah said.

Speaking on the public broadcaster Al Aoula’s “Noukta Ila Satr” program, Benabdellah said the ministry would address the issue as soon as possible within its remit.

Nearly a year ago, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports raised the maximum age for applicants to regional teacher training centers from 30 to 35.

Benabdellah also pledged to improve working conditions for preschool educators, noting that some continue to work in the informal sector.

He stressed that education reform must begin with expanding access to quality preschool education and improving educators’ working conditions.

His remarks came a day after preschool teachers staged a sit-in outside Parliament in Rabat on Monday evening, before security forces intervened to disperse the protest.

The demonstration was part of a broader movement demanding higher wages, better working conditions and integration into the public sector.

Commenting on the protest, Benabdellah said he wished preschool teachers had given him more time before taking to the streets, while emphasizing that he understood their demands and the difficulties they face.

The minister acknowledged that some preschool educators go months without receiving their salaries, adding that their wages remain too low for the work they perform.

He said resolving these problems would take time as the ministry worked to develop solutions to improve educators’ working conditions.

On the rising cost of living, Benabdellah said the government would take measures to bring down meat and food prices, while criticizing the previous government for failing to protect citizens’ purchasing power.

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