Activists seek to fully integrate Amazigh language and culture

2006-11-30

A movement in Morocco seeks to achieve the full recognition of the Amazigh language and identity. Amazigh activists, however, suffered a setback when the language was not fully incorporated in the public education curriculum.

By Imane Balhaj for Magharebia in Casablanca -- 30/11/06

[File] The Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture

Amazigh associations are working to establish the full recognition of the Amazigh language and culture. Despite government approval for teaching Amazigh, the language's integration in education has been problematic.

In 2001, King Mohammed VI said that a revival of the Amazigh language is everyone’s responsibility, and incorporating it into the Moroccan educational curriculum is a necessity -- the Amazighs’ language and culture is a fundamental component of the national culture, he said.

While the Amazigh language was introduced in state schools in 2003, political support for the Amazigh cultural rights has been vague and has not brought tangible results, according to activists. Moroccan political parties have avoided the subject in discussions.

Morocco began incorporating Amazigh into public schools in September 2003. This initially affected 25,000 students and 1,090 teachers in 345 state schools. The Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture helped formulate objectives for teaching Amazigh. The group trained teachers and developed textbooks and dictionaries.

The education ministry plans to incorporate Amazigh in Moroccan schools incrementally, eventually encompassing all academic levels -- from primary through secondary school. They also plan to incorporate Amazigh language and culture in universities and vocational schools.

Amazigh teaching manuals have been published, and there have been conferences and radio and television programs on the subject. Yet, efforts to universalise Amazigh education do not meet the aspirations of the Amazigh movement.

"We need to pay more attention to the procedural and executive aspects within the framework of the joint commission, and ensure a follow-up and an evaluation of the process of teaching Amazigh and finding solutions to potential problems at the regional and local levels," Minister of national education, higher education, training in scientific research Habib El Malki said at a November 13th meeting with the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM).

IRCAM's Ahmed Assid says he sees a disconnect between official stated policy and reality. Assid says that the educational system is burying the project by not changing this year's fourth grade primary textbook -- the level where new language curriculum starts. "There is a definite desire to make the Amazigh academic year blank, without a textbook. And this is what has happened for four consecutive years," Assid said.

Cultural Tamesna Association President Lahssen Bazigh said the Amazigh issue in Morocco is in flux, and incorporation of the language into the education system is characterised by haste and improvisation, a possible reason for its failure. He says there is no supervision of Amazigh teaching.

Bazigh asked the Centre for Didactic Research and Educational Programmes, a private institution under the national education ministry, to monitor Amazigh teaching. "We notice the Amazigh [language] does not figure on the school curriculum, and the majority of educational agencies evade settling the matter," Bazigh said.

Bazigh believes the best solution is to add an article to the Moroccan constitution that will protect this minority group's language and identity. "It’s not possible to speak of any right without constitutional recognition of the Amazigh language."

"The best means of genuine rehabilitation for Amazigh language is to teach it within the educational and academic curricula, because the process of teaching and learning is a fundamental condition for its dissemination and preservation as a national language," Moroccan linguist Moha Naji said.