Morocco: French adopted in curriculum amid criticism

RABAT

A Moroccan parliamentary commission on Tuesday approved a law for ''education reform'' which allows teaching some curriculum in French language.

While some Moroccan political parties consider the law as an attempt to impose French language on the Moroccan students, other parties agreed to pass the law Tuesday.

The law was approved by both the Authenticity and Modernity Party as well as parties represented in the cabinet coalition except the Justice and Development Party (JDP) which heads the Moroccan cabinet.

Both the JDP and the Istiqlal opposition party abstained from voting on the law.

The law includes teaching some curriculums, particularly scientific and technical ones, as well as parts of some specific curriculums in foreign languages.

Moroccan parties and NGOs have criticized in earlier statements approving only French in teaching some curriculums despite that the law allows foreign languages in general.

In April, some 150 Moroccan political and academic figures signed a petition demanding not to approve the French language in teaching curriculums in the country which embraces Arabic and Amazigh as two official languages.

In 2015, former Minister of Education Rashid Belmokhtar issued a memorandum requesting the ministry’s regional officials to "generalize" the teaching of scientific and technical curriculums in secondary schools stage in French.

Morocco has embraced a policy of Arabization of education since 1977, however, this policy has been stalled.