Moroccan working students announce protest against higher education fees

The National Coordination of Employees and Wage Earners under Flexible Timing has announced a national protest scheduled for Sunday, October 4, 2026, in front of the Parliament in Rabat. The demonstration aims to protest the imposition of higher education fees on working students and to demand the preservation of free education.

The coordination group argues that these fees threaten the principle of free public higher education and represent an attempt to introduce privatization into public universities. They have reported that several students have already been expelled from university sites for failing to pay these mandatory fees, which the group claims jeopardizes their academic and scientific research progress.

Before moving to field protests, the coordination stated they exhausted dialogue and correspondence with various institutions, including the Prime Minister's office, the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, and the Mediator of the Kingdom. They are calling for equal opportunities for all students, regardless of employment status, and are requesting that the Ministry provide grants to assist working students with the costs of scientific research.

A press conference is scheduled for Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the headquarters of the Democratic Organization of Labour in Rabat to present further updates on the situation.