School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training uses the term director (directeur). The terms “educational administration managers” and “school management personnel” are also used such as in the 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers. The term “pedagogical administrator” was used in Decree No. 2.24.141 issued on Shaaban 13, 1445 (February 23, 2024) enacting various measures relating to compensation granted to employees of the Ministry in charge of National Education.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
Section 37 of the 2019 Framework Law n° 51-17 on the Education, Training and Scientific Research System mentions reference guides for jobs and skills for educational, administrative, and technical executives. These guides are considered for the allocation of positions as well as the evaluation of performance and professional performance. The government authorities responsible for education and training and for the renewal and adaptation of curricula and programs are required to establish said guides, in consultation with representatives of the authorities and professional organizations concerned. The 2019 Jobs and Competencies Framework describes the position of a director of central administration.
The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training outlines several duties of those responsible for the management of educational establishments. The charter also states that they have the same rights and duties as educators. Furthermore, article 149 of the charter stipulates that each school will be run by a director and a management board. The former must have successfully completed basic training in educational administration. The 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers also provides the management responsibilities of the director of an establishment. According to this curriculum, a manager in an educational establishment is expected to be a skilled communicator, a good facilitator, and a capable leader. They should be able to mobilize their staff, manage change and conflict situations, and make informed decisions based on their understanding of their environment and the circumstances. Additionally, they should foster constructive relationships with various staff and student groups, establish partnerships with community organizations, and serve as role models for educators. Several forms of leadership are expected of elementary school principals: strategic, organizational, relational, emotional, ethical, transformational and distributed leadership. Pedagogical leadership is only implicitly present. This state of affairs is the same in MENPS ministerial note 167x24 of June 3, 2024 and in decree no. 2.05.1367, dated December 2, 2005 concerning the evaluation of civil servants.
Decree No. 2.24.140 issued on Shaaban 13, 1445 (February 23, 2024) also outlines roles and responsibilities of school leaders.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training requires school managers to take care of the educational establishment on all levels. The 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers shows that directors must know how to develop a systemic vision of the school. They manage all establishment operations and develop projects, and a results-based action plan based on the school's evaluation. Evaluations may be conducted on the establishment project, its objectives, strategies, approaches, resources, and means retained, and the results achieved. Decree No. 2.24.140 of BO 7277 26 February 2024 also mentions that the director now is responsible for the “institutional evaluation” of teachers. The school leader is supposed to be the "managerial administrator,” assisted by the management board.
Developing teaching and learning: According to the 1999 National Charter for Education and Training, school leaders, manage the institution's resources with transparency and efficiency. The 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers requires/ instructs managers to understand learning theories, teaching approaches and teaching strategies. They learn educational monitoring and supervision. Directors also have to establish the organizational climate.
Promoting collaboration: The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training indicates that the management of educational establishments should maintain dialogue and consultation with teachers, parents, and school partners. They should also ensure the effective, regular, and fruitful involvement of the management bodies. Communication is a key skill that school directors are expected to have. For example, the 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers states that school managers have the knowledge required to draft communications and utilize the tools, strategies, and communication methods necessary. School leaders should look for outside partnerships with local and regional academy administrative sections. Partnerships might be with international partners as mentionedin Decree No. 2.24.140.
Supporting staff development: Human resource management is mentioned in the 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers. School directors guide and advise teachers on teaching methods and practices. They develop training programmes and seek to improve the teaching performance of their teachers.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training states that educators and teachers must set a good example of conduct, deportment, perseverance in the quest for knowledge, intellectual curiosity and critical and constructive thinking. They must also adhere to objectivity and fairness. Additionally, ethics are discussed in the 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers which states that school managers must identify their educational values and ethics. School directors should be an excellent example of an ethical leader according to Decree No. 2.24.140 of BO 7277 (26 February 2024).
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training states that every director must have completed basic training in the field of educational administration. Decree no. 2-11-672 dated December 2011, creating and organizing regional centers for education and training professions, was most recently amended by Decree no. 2.24.397 dated June 26, 2024 (BO 7016, page 4436). Two new articles 31 and 31 bis were added. They stipulate that admission to the training cycle for educational administrators is subject to a pre-selection process based on an application file, followed by a competitive examination open to qualified primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, secondary school teachers, social assistants, educational managers and specialists in economics and management. All must hold at least the first grade of their respective cadre and have completed at least ten years of actual service in the central services of the Ministry of National Education, or in the regional education and training academies, or in the provincial directorates reporting to them, or in education, teaching or training establishments (article 31). The duration of training in the training cycle for educational administration executives is two years (article 31 bis). Once they have met all the relevant requirements, they graduate as educational and can immediately take on the role of principal in elementary school and general supervisor in secondary schools, with the ability to be promoted to positions as supervisors and principals in secondary schools.
Appointment decision
According to Decree No. 2-11-672 on the Creation and Organization of Regional Centers for the Professions of Education and Training, school directors are selected by competition, the results of which are determined by the state authority in charge of national education. School directors are assigned to schools by the Ministry of Education based on the Minister of Education's decree n°4151.15 of 9-12-2015 (BO 6469 of May 30, 2016). A new decree, relating to principal assignments is currently being finalized by the Ministry of Education.
Employment equity measures
Several legal texts and international conventions ratified by the Kingdom deal with the notion of employment equity. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco (2011), for example, stipulates in Article 19 that “Men and women enjoy equal civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights and freedoms”. The constitution is also very explicit on the subject of employment equity, with article 31 emphasizing that “The State, public establishments and local authorities shall work to mobilize all available means to facilitate equal access for citizens [...] to decent employment”.
For its part, the Moroccan labor code, through law 65-99 shows the importance attached to employment equity measures. Article 9 explicitly prohibits all forms of discrimination on recruitment or during employment, based on “gender, color, disability, family status, religion, political opinion, union membership, national or social origin”. Article 346 establishes the principle of equal pay for men and women for work of equal value, while article 478 provides for sanctions against employers in the event of discrimination or failure to respect fundamental rights.
In addition, Framework Law no. 97-13 on the protection and promotion of the rights of people with disabilities recognizes the right to employment of people with disabilities. It involves affirmative measures such as the introduction of a 7% quota in the civil service, according to Decree no. 2-16-773 of June 7, 2017.
There are no equity measures specifically focused on school leaders.
Working conditions
School leaders may be hired under renewable contracts for progressive periods or permanently as civil servants. The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training sets up a promotion and reward system based on precise, transparent, and credible criteria that are determined with the social partners concerned, based on the evaluation by the staff of the teaching staff, and with the consultation of the school's management board. The charter also provides funds to associations of teachers and administrative staff, for the organization of scientific, cultural or sports activities, the preparation and publication of educational studies, the organization of excursions and study trips, or the provision of leisure and summer services. Decree No. 2.24.140 of BO 7277 (26 February 2024) provides for new financial rewards for school directors regarding their added responsibilities and guarantees both good working conditions and social status.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
Article 39 of the 2019 Framework law n° 51-17 on the Education, Training and Scientific Research System states that the government authorities and training establishments concerned are required to revise the programs and curricula for the initial training of executives in the various components and levels of the education. This training and scientific research system is established with the goal of qualifying them, to develop their capacities and improve their performance and professional competence, through the adaptation of training regimes to new educational, pedagogical, scientific, and technological developments, and considering the specificities of each training category. The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training also give educators and administrative staff the right to benefit from solid initial training. The objectives, durations, content, and training regimes will be constantly reorganized in line with the evolution of the educational context and the results of the pedagogical assessment.
The training period is 2 years, as indicated in article 31bis of decree no. 2.24.397 dated June 26, 2024, with about 60% internships and supervision on top of 40% of training on specific training modules. The two forms are offered alternatively to ensure a “back and forth” between theory and practice. Internships may take place at the primary or college levels. Students are guided by experienced directors of the host establishments who also serve as their tutors.
Decree No. 2-11-672 on the Creation and Organization of Regional Centers for the Professions of Education and Training states that the training period for trainee students admitted to the training corps of educational administration cadres and cadres of the Administrative, Educational and Social Support Authority takes two academic years to obtain a diploma in training in educational administration.
Induction and in-service training
The 2019 Framework Law n° 51-17 on the Education, Training and Scientific Research System made several goals related to the deficit in education, teaching, and training establishments. The law aims to provide educational staff with sufficient educational and administrative frameworks and the diversification of training offers. Article 39 further states that government authorities and training establishments must set up annual continuing and specialized training programs. Continuing training must be compulsory and form part of the elements of performance evaluation and professional promotion.
The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training mandates that educators and teachers are provided with in-service training opportunities which enables them to continuously raise the level of their educational practices and accomplish their mission to the best of their ability. The training is conducted within two types of continuous training: short annual sessions for maintenance and updating of skills, lasting about thirty hours judiciously distributed; and more in-depth requalification sessions, taking place at least every three years. Part V of Decree No. 2-11-672 on the Creation and Organization of Regional Centers for the Professions of Education and Training instructs Regional Centers for Education and Training Professions to organize and supervise continuing training courses and update expertise for teaching staff, as well as other categories of school education sector personnel.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training calls for the establishment of bodies for planning, managing, and controlling education and training at the level of the regions, provinces, local education, and institutions. Each education and training institution shall be directed by a director and a board of management (Composition of school councils: article 17 of BO 5030 of 15-8-2002 with modifications of BO 5280 of 6-1-2005). The management board (le conseil de gestion) members include representatives of teachers, the president of the PTA, and partners who provide the school with material, technical or cultural support. Teachers are not allowed to represent a parents' association on the board of directors of the school where they work. The elementary management board includes by right the school principal as chairman, representatives of the administrative and technical staff, the president of the PTA, the representative of the local council, and a teacher representing each school subject. The board is responsible for issuing opinions on the programming of the school's activities, teaching schedules and timetables and the distribution of teachers' tasks; participating in the periodic evaluation of the educational activity to ensure the good condition of the infrastructure, equipment and educational climate of the school; and proposing or providing appropriate solutions to ensure the maintenance of the school, the improvement of its prestige and the broadening of the scope of its influence.
3.2. Middle leaders
Teachers are categorized by grade and rank in the Moroccan education system. They are also ranked by professional experiences- their years of work, professional exams, and academic achievements.
3.3. Parents
The 2019 Framework Law n° 51-17 on the Education, Training and Scientific Research System states that operating rules, roles, and missions of associations of parents and guardians of students, in their relations with education and training establishments, are established by regulation. The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training states that parents and guardians have a duty to educational institutions to “assist and participate in management and evaluation”. The charter then gives parents' associations the duty to ensure, within their ranks, transparency, democracy and seriousness in the organization, election, and management. Parent associations are mandated to broaden the basis of their representativeness, to become credible and useful interlocutors and partners in the management, maintenance, and evaluation of educational institutions.
3.4. Students
According to the 1999 National Charter for Education and Training, pupils and students are responsible for practicing individual and collective active participation in the classroom. They also have the right to participate in the life of the establishment.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
The 1999 National Charter for Education and Training states that each school will have operating and maintenance credits that will be allocated to it. Directors commit and spend from these funds directly, under the control of the management board. The 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers asks directors in training to learn management of human, material, and financial resources of the establishment. School directors can gain financial independence by developing the school projects.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
According to the 1999 National Charter for Education and Training, evaluations on the education and training systems are carried out by the central and regional administrations with one of the objectives focused on the training of managers and strengthening regional and local levels with the assignment of competent and experienced managers. The evaluation consists of pedagogical and administrative audits and includes self-evaluation and a periodical survey of the opinions of educational actors and their partners.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
The 2014 Training Curriculum for Educational Administration Managers discusses the evaluation of the establishment as well as human resources management. In the 2024 chart, the teacher’s assessment is evaluated by both the school director and the inspector based on evaluations and continuous assessment. School directors take part in the evaluation of teachers described in Ministerial note of June 3, 2024 n°167x24. Teachers eligible for promotion receive a mark from the principal (/20 points), the educational inspector (/20 points) and the provincial director (/20 points). The sum of the points (/60), together with the level of commitment, absence of sanctions, absenteeism, abandonment of post, disciplinary board, determines the speed of promotion (fast, normal, slow). In addition, the assessors' score is based on five elements: (1) Performance of job-related tasks, (2) Performance, (3) Professional conduct, (4) Organizational capacity, (5) Research and innovation.
In January 2024, Bill No. 03.24 was adopted, amending Law 07.00 to replace "statutory cadres" with "civil servants." This change integrates staff from the Regional Academies of Education and Training (AREF) into the Ministry of National Education as civil servants, as agreed with trade unions in December 2023. The reform also takes away the power of school directors to dismiss teachers for poor performance, transferring this responsibility to the central or regional administration.
This profile was reviewed by Dr. Abdelaaziz El Bakkali and Dr. Mohamed Farid Dadouchi, national experts.
