25 Years After Ajdir: Moving From Celebration to Accountability for the Amazigh Language

The renewed focus on the teaching of the Amazigh language is currently being driven by a variety of signals. These range from official celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the historic Ajdir speech to reports from teachers regarding their working conditions and union demands for job stability amid new educational reforms.

Although these perspectives vary, they converge on one central question. After a quarter-century, the issue is no longer whether there is political will to promote the Amazigh language, but rather measuring what has been concretely achieved within Moroccan schools. The task now is to evaluate the extent of the gap between stated ambitions and their actual implementation on the ground.

Testimonies from the teaching staff highlight several critical concerns. Some report excessive workloads, an unmanageable number of student groups, and overcrowded classrooms. Others fear that recent educational reforms may undermine progress already made in teaching the language. While these reports require official verification, they primarily call for a clear and transparent institutional response.

The sustainability of Amazigh language instruction should not be viewed merely as a personnel management issue, but as a key indicator of the success of public policy. Teacher training, job stability, the availability of pedagogical materials, and the distribution of human resources are all measurable and evaluable benchmarks.

In this regard, the right of access to information plays a pivotal role. Accessing precise data on the number of schools, students, and teachers, as well as allocated budgets, would allow for a fact-based debate rather than a clash of conflicting impressions. The goal is not to oppose reform, but to scrutinize governance: how can the coherence of successive programs be guaranteed so that innovation does not result in a rollback of established rights?

More broadly, this debate concerns the management of public funds. Protecting state resources is not limited to detecting financial irregularities; it also involves questioning the efficiency of resource use and the achievement of set objectives. In the education sector, it is not enough to mobilize means; one must ensure results.

Twenty-five years after the landmark Ajdir speech, the time has come to move from commemoration to evaluation. A rigorous assessment cannot rely solely on celebrations or complaints. It must be based on official data, field testimonies, and independent analysis to objectively compare results against initial objectives.

Ultimately, the strength of a public policy is measured by its capacity to transform the daily lives of citizens. For the Amazigh language, the question is now clear: what has been accomplished in schools, what remains to be done, and what adjustments are necessary to ensure that symbolic recognition becomes a concrete practice and an effective right.

By Mohamed Samir Bouzid, civil society activist focused on governance and public fund protection, and Secretary-General of the Adala Center for Human Rights.

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