Teachers’ wage hike to cost government $900 million

The Moroccan government will have to spend 900 million dollars (9 billion dirhams) in 2024 and 2025 on the new deal struck with teachers to end their long strike, education minister Chakib Benmousa said.

After negotiations with teachers’ unions, the government had agreed to a wage hike of 1500 dirhams and an increase in other allowances, benefits, and promotions.

The wage hike will be implemented in two stages in 2024 and 2025 and would cost the state budget 9 billion dirhams, Benmousa told MPs.

The minister did not explain how the government will mobilize this additional funding, though Moroccan media reports this will be sourced from the general state budget.

The additional funding represents 13% of the 2024 education budget set at 7.4 billion dollars, up 7% from this year.

The strikes stirred anger among parents as pupils have been left out of schools for a long period so far this year, raising fears of a loss of the school year.

The education ministry plans to hire 20,000 new staff as it invests in innovative pedagogical tools to improve the performance of the education system.