Mauritania: Fulani, Soninké, Wolof: national languages ​​enter schools

From this school year, “every child with an Arabic mother tongue must learn at least one of the three national languages ​​(Poular, Soninké and Wolof). The choice of this language is guided by the regional socio-demographic context. according to the terms of the new orientations of the national education system. As an experiment, 25 classes were chosen across the country for the introduction of these three local languages ​​into primary education.

As for Arabic, this language is “taught to all children for whom it is not their mother tongue as a language of communication and as a language of instruction.” as recalled by MBouh Seta Diagana, director of the Institution for the Promotion of the Teaching of National Languages ​​(IPELAN),

Read also: Back to school in Mauritania: a reform and questions

These classes welcome speakers, that is to say children for whom one of these 3 languages ​​is their mother tongue and Arabic speakers, who have the obligation to learn one of these languages, while non-Arabic speaking students , are subject to the obligation to receive the teaching of Arabic, the official language.

MBouh Seta Diagana recalls the proven educational and scientific importance for children to begin learning in their mother tongue.

For his part, Doro Gueye, head of the Organization for the Officialization of National Languages ​​(OLAN), approves the principle of this first experiment of opening 25 classes as an experiment, for the teaching of Peul, Soninké and from Wolof.

Read also: Nouakchott: parents demonstrate against primary education reform

However, the head of OLAN expresses reservations and asks many questions, about the deadlines and the term of the experiment, the continuation of the children’s learning, the outlets and especially Arabization.worrying problem in the teaching of scientific subjects.»