Uproar over Morocco's new public teaching exam law

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ4WQc_AnFI

Morocco recently passed a new law regarding their public teaching exam and it has people in an uproar.

In the past, people had to pass these steps to become a teacher:

1. Get their BAC

2. Pass the public teaching exam

3. Successfully complete a three to six month long teacher training program

4. Sit for an interview with school inspectors

The new law changes the requirements for this year:

• Must have BAC with honors

• Not repeated any classes for their BA degree

• Be younger than 30 when they start work

And for next year:

• Must have BAC with honors

• Have a BA in education

• Be younger than 28 when they start work (lowers to 25 the following year)

The primary touted strength of the law is it will bring Morocco in line with the standards of developed countries by requiring a degree in education. This ignores countries, like the United States, that require students to have a BA in any subject, go through a teacher training program, and pass an exam. The government also says there will be cost savings by paying the public school expenses (teachers, administrators, overhead, etc.) of every student who pursues a degree in education instead of paying the costs for people taking the exam and only the top students going through teacher training.

Teaching is one of the few options available to women who leave the workforce to give birth and wish to return to work. The vast majority will now have to become housewives if they wish to have a child. Teaching has also always been the primary choice for people who want to change careers because it does not require a specific diploma, you could become a teacher in a subject related to your diploma. In Morocco, most job require a specific diploma (even a bank teller needs to have a diploma in economics) and the BA degrees you are allowed to pursue are limited by what your high school diploma is in (if your high school diploma is in art you are not allowed to get a BA in economics). Now, those who want to change careers will have to go into unskilled labor if they don't have the money and luck to open a business.

Schools are going to face a shortage of skilled teachers. To become a teacher, someone will have to go directly from high school into teaching and will therefore only have a high school level of knowledge in their specialty. It will be difficult for universities to find teachers and they may have to close entire faculties. It is already difficult for many degree holders to find a job but they've always had the option of teaching. Now, many, like mathematicians, will be unable to find any job. This will reduce enrollment to near 0 levels and produce no replacements when current professors retire. This will also do nothing to address Morocco's problem of brain drain. As faculties reduce programs or close, students will be more likely to travel abroad to study and will remain abroad because they were able to find education and work opportunities.