Moroccan group rejects continued imposition of French in schools

A Moroccan non-governmental organisation expressed its rejection of the continued imposition of French as a language of instruction in schools, calling for resistance against what it described as the “Francisation of education”, Anadolu reported.

This came in a statement issued yesterday by the National Coalition for the Arabic Language following the conclusion of its national conference, which began on Friday in Rabat.

The coalition stated that it rejects the continued imposition of French as a teaching language in Moroccan schools across all educational levels.

The statement urged civil society, particularly organisations involved in the education sector, to advocate for the Arabic language and resist the Francisation of education.

The coalition also expressed its strong opposition to any attempts to marginalise or undermine the Arabic language in institutions, public spaces and facilities.

Furthermore, the coalition called for respect for the constitution, which stipulates that Arabic is the official language of Morocco alongside Amazigh.

Currently, French is taught from the first grade in both public and private schools.

The coalition stressed that promoting the Arabic language is a shared societal responsibility between both official and civil institutions.

There has been no immediate comment from the government on the issue.

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