Drâa-Tafilalet: Union Threatens Strike Action Over Amazigh Language Teaching Disputes

Administrative friction in Morocco’s Drâa-Tafilalet region has brought the rollout of Amazigh language education and its classroom conditions back into the spotlight. The National Education Federation (FNE), affiliated with the Moroccan Labour Union (UMT), is sounding the alarm over the fallout from what it describes as widespread “dysfunctions” in managing teaching hours allocated to the Amazigh language across the region. The union blames certain education authorities, accusing them of issuing directives and decisions that undermine the rights and professional gains of specialized instructors. It is calling for immediate intervention by the Regional Academy of Education and Training (AREF) to resolve the crisis and defuse mounting anger across schools.

The warning came in an official letter sent by the union’s regional branch to the director of the Drâa-Tafilalet AREF. In the correspondence, the organization strongly condemns the persistence of administrative practices that raise serious doubts over compliance with ministerial circulars and statutory regulations governing Amazigh language instruction. The union also warned of the damaging effects these measures have on teachers’ professional and pedagogical stability.

The union’s regional bureau stressed that successfully expanding Amazigh language teaching and cementing its role in public education cannot be separated from providing a fair work environment for its teachers. In this regard, it cautioned against overburdening instructors with overtime hours that violate established guidelines or subjecting them to unilateral bureaucratic interpretations of regulations that infringe upon their hard-won professional rights.

Consequently, the regional branch called on the academy director to intervene urgently to enforce the legal framework governing the subject, notably Ministerial Memorandums No. 116 and No. 130. The union urged that these rules be applied uniformly across all provincial directorates and schools in the region to eliminate unequal treatment and disparities in working conditions from one school to another.

The union also demanded an overhaul of schedules and assignments given to Amazigh language teachers, as well as the annulment of any measure at odds with current regulations. According to the organization, resolving teacher shortages must not be achieved by inflating workloads beyond established legal and regulatory limits.

The letter further raised questions regarding a memo attributed to the Ministry’s Directorate of Curricula, which has been cited to restructure teaching hours for the Amazigh language. The union requested that the academy disclose the full text of this document, clarify its legal basis, and outline its scope of application to ensure that all resulting measures comply with the law.

In addition, the organization demanded the withdrawal and cancellation of any provisions conflicting with applicable laws and regulations. It called for the adoption of a clear, standardized reference framework to govern the issue, rather than divergent interpretations that create unequal professional obligations for teachers from one school to another.

On professional rights, the union urged the safeguarding of the dignity and rights of specialized Amazigh language teachers. It called for an end to all pressure and obstruction directed at instructors who insist on strict adherence to the rules, while also demanding that all submitted appeals and grievances be processed through established legal channels.

While denouncing these shortcomings, the FNE-UMT affirmed its readiness to engage in constructive institutional dialogue with regional academy authorities. It recommended holding an emergency meeting between the administration and union representatives to examine these dysfunctions and agree on practical solutions to resolve them.

The union insisted that the outcome of such a meeting be recorded in an official, binding set of minutes setting out mutual commitments and implementation timetables, thereby shifting from theoretical debate to the effective resolution of problems on the ground.

In the same vein, the regional bureau reaffirmed that managing Amazigh language education requires strict compliance with statutory frameworks and the harmonization of implementation procedures. It stressed that addressing staffing shortfalls must under no circumstances come at the expense of teachers’ rights or through the imposition of duties not provided for by law.

Finally, the union concluded its letter by urging the AREF director to provide a prompt written response outlining planned measures to overcome the crisis. It warned that maintaining the status quo and failing to take concrete action would leave the organization no choice but to launch protest actions to defend the rights and professional gains of Amazigh language teachers.

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