Amid rising public pressure and ongoing parliamentary discussions, Morocco’s Minister of National Education, Mohamed Saad Berrada, announced on Monday that his ministry is reconsidering the decision to impose a 30-year age limit for candidates applying for teacher recruitment exams.
Speaking before the House of Representatives during the weekly oral question session, Berrada revealed that a final decision on the matter will be made ahead of the upcoming recruitment exams for 20,000 teachers, scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.
The minister explained that the policy has been under review for the past two months following repeated requests from both Parliament and teaching unions.
When the age limit was introduced three years ago, it was intended to “improve the education system, make teaching careers more attractive, and invest in ongoing professional development,” Berrada explained. However, he acknowledged that challenges have arisen. “I understand that there is a problem that needs to be addressed,” he said. “We are considering how to resolve it before organizing the exams, while ensuring that any changes do not negatively affect the sector or the candidates.”
Parliamentary Consensus
Members of Parliament across various political parties have called for the removal of the age limit, describing it as “unconstitutional” and “unjust.” Many MPs argued that the policy has excluded a significant number of graduates, particularly those over 30 who are unemployed degree holders, without resulting in any noticeable improvement in the quality of education.
Three years after its implementation, MPs questioned whether the age restriction has fulfilled its original goals, as there has been no significant improvement in the education system’s performance.
Berrada presented new data showing that last year’s recruitment exam attracted approximately 120,000 applicants, but only 14,000 were accepted. Of those, 80% were under 25 years old, while candidates aged 29 and above made up just 4%. He also noted that 75% of those accepted had “good grades,” which, he said, highlighted the strong academic and professional potential among younger applicants.
While defending the original intent of the age limit, Berrada emphasized that the measure was never meant to be exclusionary.
In closing, the minister reaffirmed that the ministry’s primary goal remains to enhance the quality of education and continue with the 2022–2026 roadmap for reform, which aims to improve efficiency, equity, and performance across Morocco’s public schools.
The review of the age limit comes amid broader debates on youth employment, equity in public service recruitment, and the education sector’s ability to attract and retain skilled professionals—a topic that continues to draw significant attention from Morocco’s younger generations.