Moroccan Teacher Fatally Attacked by Student with Axe, Sparking Education Sector Outrage

March 28 was a nightmarish day for Hajar E., a French language teacher at the Office of Vocational Training and Work Promotion (OFPPT). Armed with a "chakour", a rudimentary axe, a 21-year-old student, unhappy with a disciplinary remark against him, violently attacked the teacher in broad daylight and in the middle of the street in Erfoud, reports Le Matin. Rushed to the Hassan II University Hospital in Fez in critical condition, the teacher, who had been posted in Erfoud since 2021, succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, April 13 at dawn. She was buried the next day, on her birthday, in her hometown of Khémisset.

The tragedy has caused great emotion among the residents of Fez, the colleagues of the deceased, and the union world. "Hajar was exemplary, passionate about her job, and very committed to her students. She absolutely did not deserve this unjust fate," testifies one of the colleagues of the woman who had committed herself to a difficult region, marked by precariousness and social difficulties, but was convinced that education could change lives. "This tragic event once again demonstrates the lack of will of the authorities or their inability to guarantee the safety and dignity of teachers," the FNE fumes in a statement.

A justified anger, as Hajar’s case is not isolated. 69% of school violence occurs inside the establishments themselves, specifies a joint study by UNICEF and the Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research (CSEFRS). Students but also teachers are victims. In Fqih Ben Salah, a mathematics teacher was violently assaulted in the middle of the classroom on April 8 by one of his students and had to be urgently admitted to the hospital. After expressing solidarity with the assaulted teacher, the education union affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT) denounced a "worrying rise in violence against teachers" and called for immediate protective measures.

The National Labor Union in Morocco (UNTM) has, in a letter addressed to the Minister of National Education, called for a review of circular n°867/14, accused of weakening the authority of teachers by giving too much latitude to class councils to rule on disciplinary issues, without real protection for teachers.

The FNE has called for protest vigils to be observed during the days of April 14 and 15 in all training institutions, as well as a general strike on Wednesday, April 16 in the Drâa-Tafilalet region. On the web, the hashtag (#WeAreAllHajar) quickly went viral. Internet users are demanding an urgent reform of the legal framework protecting teachers. They are also calling for more resources to ensure their physical and moral safety.