The Minister of National Education, Mohamed Seghir Saâdaoui, announced the suspension of the mandatory training required for teachers’ tenuring, pending its definitive abolition. This significant decision, taken in direct response to sector unions’ demands and observed field difficulties, paves the way for direct integration without conditions.
Speaking this Saturday during a meeting with representatives of education unions, the minister stated: “The pre-integration training for teachers is suspended as of today, until its definitive abolition through an amendment to the Special Status.” He specified that this decision aims to “ensure harmony and serenity within the educational environment,” while addressing the widely expressed concerns of teachers and their representatives.
This announcement comes after several weeks of tensions and union protests related to the implementation of the new Special Status for the sector.
During this meeting, the minister recalled that the recently promulgated Special Status includes “important gains for teachers,” but also “shortcomings that have prompted numerous remarks and appeals from unions.” In response to these grievances, he explained, a commission was established to examine all demands, including the priority demand for integration without conditions or restrictions.
Mohamed Seghir Saâdaoui emphasized that he follows “with great interest the concerns of teachers” and that there is, at the ministry level, “a real willingness to remove this obstacle,” a decision that was officially enacted at the end of the meeting with social partners.
Initially, the administration had considered training as the most appropriate means to implement the Status provisions and proceed with teachers’ reclassification into new grades. However, from the launch of the program, massive rejection was observed on the ground.
The affected teachers expressed their refusal of training perceived as an additional constraint, believing that integration should occur directly. According to the minister, this situation created “a particularly difficult week for the educational community,” marked by uncertainty and waiting. “Decisions are not made based on what circulates on social media, but on concrete data and real observations,” he stressed.
In light of these elements, the ministry has decided: the training linked to integration is suspended until its formal cancellation by regulatory means. Direct integration of teachers will now be prioritized, a measure that, according to the minister, fully aligns with the President of the Republic’s guidelines to improve teachers’ professional and social conditions.
This decision concerns teachers with 4 to 10 years of experience, initially targeted by the training program. For equity and in accordance with presidential instructions, it will also extend to teachers with less than 4 years of seniority.
Finally, Saâdaoui announced the immediate opening of working sessions with union partners to revise the Special Status, in order to officially incorporate this new provision and ensure sector stability.
He clarified, however, that this measure does not undermine training as such. Continuous and specialized training remains encouraged for career advancement and professional development, but it cannot be imposed as a prerequisite for integration.