Spain Fires Teachers Who Fled Morocco During COVID-19 Outbreak

Panicked at the start of the covid-19 epidemic, about twenty Spanish language teachers from 11 schools returned home. These teachers were under the education department of the embassy in Morocco. A dozen of them have been fired. They are accused of "abandoning the country and their work". The others are awaiting notification of their dismissal, reports El Español. The latter will not be able to resume work in Morocco for a period of three years, the embassy specifies.

These Spanish teachers returned home because the Education Department of the Spanish Embassy in Rabat remained silent about their request to return. Yet the fear of being infected was great in their ranks. Nevertheless, they continued teleworking from their homes.

Many of these returning and de facto dismissed teachers are chronically ill. They fear for their health. Antonio Pérez, a physical education teacher in secondary school, and Alejandro Pérez, are victims of the Spanish government’s decision. Both are chronic asthmatics who said staying in Morocco was suicidal.

The dismissals are risky, as it is impossible, in the context of covid-19, to find replacements for the dismissed. Even in normal situations, it is difficult to fill these positions due to working conditions. A secondary school teacher has about six groups with an average of 25 students per class; and a primary school teacher can have up to 300 students, notes the same source.