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Join on Telegram Rabat – An online petition entitled “Yes to linguistic justice in Morocco and No to French,” which is seeking to move away from French as a main language of education and conducting business, has reignited the discussion about the need for Moroccan institutions – especially schools and universities – to ditch French as their main foreign language.
The petition’s text says that teaching children in French at an early age is “akin to the final nail in the coffin of the current and future generations, condemning them to guaranteed failure.”
According to the organizer of the petition, who goes by Abdenasser B., students are being effectively forced to learn a language that limits their opportunities in a world where other languages are increasingly dominating over French.
He also argued that adopting French is a sign of an abandonment of the country’s history and traditions. The petition calls for increased adoption of Arabic in official government uses and documents, as well as in education.
“The usage of French as a language for education is a sign of disrespect for the country’s direction, values, constitution, and language,” says the text of the petition.
The petition has so far garnered more than 5,500 signatures within a week of its creation, approaching its goal of 7,500 before being presented to relevant authorities.
The hashtag, #NoToFrench, has also been widely used on social media to support the campaign, adding to a conversation that has been ongoing for years about the status of French in Morocco.
Read also: Morocco Refutes Rumors about Replacing French in Education
As English continues to be the world’s dominant language for business dealings and international education, Moroccans have been hoping for Morocco to move away from French after decades of francophonie.
The petition also coincides with brewing diplomatic tensions between Paris and Rabat over France’s decision to significantly slash the number of visas issued to Moroccans, as well as the France government’s apparent recent visit by President Macron to Algeria.
Morocco has recently been active in diversifying its relations, increasing cooperation with American and other non-French speaking partners. This has prompted many Moroccan citizens and commentators to take the view that it is only a matter of time before English effectively replaces French in the country.
