فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Rabat, Morocco – In an emergency meeting held on Friday, August 29, 2025, at the Faculty of Science in Rabat, the National Union for Higher Education expressed its absolute rejection of Bill No. 59.24 regulating higher education, which the Government Council unexpectedly approved without consulting the union.
Marginalization of Partners and Breach of Commitments
In its statement, the union’s national office denounced this approach, which it considered to be “a disregard for the role of partners,” confirming that the supervising ministry had not fulfilled its promises made in a previous meeting with the union, especially regarding important matters such as the French PhD file, promotions, general seniority, and the tax on research stipends.
Concerns About Undermining the Public University
The union confirmed that the bill, which was prepared outside legal frameworks and without the participation of professors, aims to undermine the identity of the public university, impose guardianship over it, and confiscate the right of its members to make university decisions. It also considered that the bill seeks to:
- Strike at the unity of higher education.
- Abolish the principle of free education.
- Tip the balance in favor of privatization and weaken the role of the public university.
- Target national sovereignty in the field of education.
- Roll back certain gains, including the agreement of October 20, 2022.
Impending Escalation and a Call to Form a National Front
The union’s national office decided to keep its meeting open, announcing that it will hold a press conference to brief the public on the matter. The union also called for an administrative committee meeting to be held on Sunday, September 14, 2025, to outline a protest program aimed at halting the legislative process of the bill and bringing it back to the negotiation table with the union, in order to preserve social peace and ensure the normal functioning of the university service.
In conclusion, the union issued a call to all active forces in the country to form a “national front” to defend the public university, urging research professors to mobilize and be ready to engage in all forms of protest to defend their dignity and public higher education.
