The Ministry of National Education began this Monday a series of bilateral meetings with the sector’s approved trade unions, as part of strengthening social dialogue and consultation around the concerns of education staff.
These bilateral meetings, continuing the dialogue started several months ago, are expected to help consolidate the path toward a concerted and inclusive reform of the education system.
Under the supervision of the Minister of National Education, Mohamed Seghir Saâdaoui, these meetings, scheduled for Mondays and Thursdays each week, are held at the ministry’s headquarters in El Mouradia, according to a pre-established calendar.
In total, 21 representative unions of the sector were invited to these meetings. Among them are notably the Primary Teachers’ Union, the Algerian High Schools Council (Conseil des lycées d’Algérie (CELA)), the National Autonomous Union of Primary Teachers (Syndicat national autonome des enseignants du primaire (SNAEP)), the National Autonomous Union of Middle School Teachers (Syndicat national autonome des enseignants du moyen (SNAEM)), the National Union of Supervisors and Educational Assistants, the National Union of Education Workers, as well as the National Union of Technical Agents in the National Education Sector.
These meetings will also include the participation of the Algerian Union of Education Workers, the National Union of Education Assistants, the Autonomous Union of Economic Services Agents, the Pedagogical Advisors’ Union, the National Autonomous Council of Secondary Teachers (Conseil national autonome des enseignants du secondaire (CNAES)), and the Autonomous Union of Pedagogical Advisors.
The Algerian Organization of Education Teachers, the National Union of Primary School Principals, the National Autonomous Council of Middle and Secondary School Principals, the National Union of Censors, the National Union of School and Career Guidance Counselors, and the Laboratory Agents’ Union will also take part in these consultations.
These meetings are part of a continuous consultation process between the ministry and its social partners aiming to build trust and deepen dialogue on key sector issues.
The ministry thus intends to respond to concerns expressed on the ground and strengthen professional relations with representatives of education workers.
Regarding the draft revision of the specific status of staff belonging to specific education corps, the ministry announced that its examination will be postponed to later meetings, pending completion of the preliminary draft of the text.
As a reminder, the previous school year was marked by broad consultation around the draft modification of the specific status and compensation system, during which unions made proposals concerning five major professional categories: teachers, educational staff, school and career counselors, laboratory technicians, and school nutrition advisors.
The technical committee, chaired by the ministry’s chief of staff, continues to study union observations on the two executive decrees of January 21, 2025: decree no. 25-54 relating to the specific status of national education staff, and decree no. 25-55 setting the compensation system.
Union contributions, deemed complete and constructive, have been gathered into a common proposal platform, intended to serve as a basis for preparing the final draft.
The trade unions emphasize the need to guarantee balance between different professional categories and to establish realistic and fair integration conditions. They also advocate for expanded promotion opportunities, with a substantial number of positions and reasonable seniority criteria.
Finally, they reaffirm the demand for a fair and motivating compensation system, guaranteeing the financial and moral dignity of education staff throughout their careers, preventing the need for debt or parallel activities.