Why Tamazight Language should be taught in Moroccan Schools

Bounda Mohammed

SSK 1201 - Skills for Learning and Research

Spring2004

Amazigh people, or Berbers as they are referred to by foreigners, are the indigenous of North Africa “The area stretches from East to West, covering the span between the oasis of Siwa in Egypt and Morocco at the Atlantic Ocean, and from North to South, covering the area between the Mediterranean coast of North Africa and Burkina Faso” (Majid Alaoua). Their language, Tamazight, is divided into many dialects, which are, in turn, divided into sub-dialects. In Morocco, for example, the Amazigh can be divided into three main parts according to their language: Rifians, Shlouh and Sous. The Amazigh people of Morocco have asked for a Tamazight curriculum in the Moroccan education system. This was answered positively by the government; Morocco started to apply this in October, 2003. It seems to be a good initiative by the government that may pave the way for real democracy in Morocco. However, there have been, and still are, many individuals in Morocco who do not think that Tamazight should be taught. These people have claims different from one to another. I believe that Tamazight should be taught in Morocco for statistical, historical and ethical reasons.

While the Amazigh people were delighted by the recognition of their language by the King Mohammed the sixth, and the government response to their request to teach Tamazight in Moroccan school. Many individuals have opposed the teaching of Tamazight. They say that teaching Tamazight is a waste of time because it is not a vital language, and learning it is useless since it is used only regionally. Moreover, it would affect their children’s education for the fact that they are already supposed to learn many other essential languages such as French, English and Spanish. I think, however, that Tamazight is our heritage and that we should be proud of it; there should be no discrimination. The teaching of Tamazight is going to set equality of chances between the Arabs and the Amazigh in the Moroccan Education schools. The illiteracy increases in Morocco because most Amazigh, especially in rural areas, tend to leave schools in early ages for that they do not understand Arabic. In fact, setting a curriculum for Tamazight would pave the way for true democracy in our country, because Morocco was Amazigh historically before it had become an Arab country officially.

Some Moroccans, especially Arabs, think that not everyone in Morocco is Amazigh, so Tamazight should not be taught. Linguists research show that about 60 percent of the population is Amazigh. Official statistics tend to bring this figure to fewer than 50 percent, but this is not sustained by linguistic studies. However, native speakers of Tamazight also speak Moroccan Dareja (Moroccan Arabic), especially in the cities and away from their own villages, as well as French or Spanish (in the North). Regardless of whether or not everyone in Morocco is Amazigh, Tamazight should be taught and its learning should be compulsory as it is the case for Arabic; not everyone is Arab either, yet every Moroccan student is supposed to learn Arabic.

Another point of view of Tamazight opponent the teaching of Tamazight is that Arabic is a better language than Tamazight, so we must all as Muslims learn it because it is the language of our religion, and script of the Koran. And if we do not learn Arabic we will not be able to understand our religion. However, I really do not think that Arabic is better than Tamazight for this reason. A religion is a concept of rules and laws while the language is playing the role of conveying these concepts to the people, which means the religion concepts, could be taught in another language. However, the Amazigh people are neither opposing the learning of Arabic, nor looking for translating the Koran, they are happy to learn Arabic. The only problem is that they fear their language would die like many other languages around the world. For example: “Gaulish and Cornish among the Celtic languages; Dalmatian among the Romance languages” (Steven Schaufele, 1998).

Tamazight has a long history with the Amazigh people. Many aspects of its culture were preserved. There are, however, some aspects which are in danger and may disappear if we do not take the situation seriously. For example, Thifinagh, which is the name of the scriptural system of Tamazight, has remained unwritten for centuries. When Tamazight was accepted in the program of Moroccan education system, at the first, The Ministry of Education supposed to use Arabic or Latin alphabets for writing Tamazight. The Amazigh scholars opposed that because they feared to lose Thifinagh, which is the original scriptural system of Tamazight. Fortunately at last they decided to use Thifinagh.

An identity without a written language may disappear, and this is what most Amazigh scholars fear would happen to Tamazight if it is not taught in schools. If someone ignores who he is, and does not know about his history, he would probably suffer when he will be encountered to other cultures, because this may cause racism. Amazigh people should first know who they are, what their language is, and learn writing it, which may allow them to discover their identity which is ignored in today’s history curriculum in schools.

To sum up, Tamazight should be taught in Moroccan education system in all levels. The teaching of Tamazight is not a waste of time. It is a positive initiative that will preserve our culture. A culture we should be proud of. It is essential for everyone to learn his mother tongue first and then other languages-otherwise he would have problems in communication with the society. Setting a curriculum for Tamazight in Moroccan schools would surely help in the integration and harmony between Amazigh and Arab races in Morocco.

References
Majid Alaoua. Tamazight Dialects and the Inspection of the Tamazight Language in the Educational System. Retrieved April 27, 2004, from http://www.waac.info/amazigh/language/alaoua_tamazight-dialects.html

Steven Schaufele.  (1998, May 25th). Origin of Languages [83]. Retrieved April 27, 2004, from http://www.linguistlist.org/~ask-ling/archive-1998.4/msg00929.html