Errachidia: Amazigh Teachers Refuse to Teach Other Subjects
A statement from the provincial secretariat of Amazigh-language teachers in Errachidia has reopened the debate over how the subject is taught in the province at the start of the school year. The secretariat belongs to the National Teachers’ Union (SNE), which is affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labour (CDT). The statement criticizes how the subject is managed. It calls for respect for the specialization of the staff who teach it and for the conditions needed to roll it out in schools.
According to the secretariat, the start of the school year has been marked by several problems. These include what it calls “arbitrary assignments”, as well as transfers and secondments to other schools. It also says Amazigh teachers are being given other subjects to teach to make up for staff shortages, and it rejects the practice. In its view, staffing gaps should not be filled at the expense of Amazigh teachers’ specialization or the school time set aside for the subject. It also objects to a 30-hour weekly workload imposed without regard for the number of classes or the particular demands of language teaching.
The statement also points to the scheduling of the subject’s components outside pupils’ actual teaching hours. It regrets a decline in the presence of the Amazigh language during the intensive support period. It calls for the subject to receive its share of school time and of the educational programs designed for it.
On working conditions, the text notes a lack of infrastructure and teaching resources, along with limited in-service training. It demands that Amazigh teachers be given the means to carry out their duties in suitable teaching conditions. The secretariat also insists on equal access to support and incentive schemes, including the “pioneer schools” projects and allowances. It asks that teachers of the subject not be left out of initiatives aimed at teaching staff.
Its specific demands include a review of provincial directorate circular No. 129/25 and adoption of framework memorandum No. 130. It also wants a dialogue with officials to address the problems in how the subject is managed in the province.
On extending Amazigh-language teaching, the secretariat argues that expansion should be “horizontal and vertical” within schools. The aim should be to broaden the teaching of the subject, not to spread the same teacher across more schools. It proposes cutting the number of classes assigned to each teacher from eight to four, in exchange for raising the learning time per class from three hours to four.
The secretariat concludes by urging Amazigh-language teachers in the province to strengthen union coordination and be ready to defend their demands. It says it will keep pressing for better working conditions and a real presence for the Amazigh language in public schools.
Source: Le Monde Amazigh
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