ANB-BIA SUPPLEMENT

ISSUE/EDITION Nr 320 - 15/03/1997

Senegal

Teaching Arabic

by Simon Kiba, Dakar, 14 January 1997

THEME = EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION

At regular intervals, the question of teaching Arabic in Senegal is raised. At the end of 1996, the newspaper "Le Soleil" wrote that the teaching of Arabic is "taking-off". The appropriate authorities want new impetus to be given to this teaching, so that Arabic can contribute to knowledge and know-how in Senegal

The whole problem about teaching Arabic is, whether the average Senegalese citizen considers it to be a language of religion or one of communication. Until now, Arabic has been a language of religion, and anyone capable of quoting verses from the Koran or from the collected sayings of Mohamed and his earliest followers (hadith), was considered to be well-educated and a good Muslim. This conferred prestige. These days, although the average Senegalese citizen may consider it a good thing to have attended the Koranic school when a child, once adolescence sets in, modern schools with French and English on their syllabus, are preferred. What happened recently, shows the difficulty in encouraging ordinary people to accept the Arab language.

A practical problem

Touba is a Senegalese town of over 100,000 inhabitants. It was built around the mosque and the family home of a great Marabou who founded a Brotherhood at the beginning of this century. (The town is owned by the Marabou's family). A number of schools started developing around town, offering French and other secular subjects on their syllabus. The Koranic teachers used to have thousands of pupils, but the new schools "à la française", made many children quit the Arabic classes. The Arabic teachers went to see the Marabou in charge of the town and the Brotherhood. He immediately ordered the closure of the "French" schools. They have remained shut during the last three months.

Priorities

This "incident" seems to prove that both parents and children are more concerned with a material and professional future, than with spiritual concerns. They say that Arabic does not supply them with the same openings (at least for the moment) as French and English. Senegalese like to emigrate but they can't emigrate to Saudi Arabia or to other Arab countries just like that. On the other hand, even at home, they are able to find jobs if they have an average command of French. As things go, parents are obviously concerned about their children's professional future. If Arabic is to become a language of communication, the women and the vegetable and fish-sellers in the markets, all have to practise it. As long as Arabic is spoken only by an elite, it will never be popular. Le Soleil says that in the whole of Senegal, "there are only 1,100 Arabic teachers, including 93 primary school teachers. There are about forty schools offering Arabic. Arabic is taught as if to make converts for Islam. The teachers have no clearly defined status and teaching conditions are abysmal. Arabic, as an academic subject, continues to exist halfway between religion and secularism".

Efforts made by the government

There are about twenty new different text books for the teaching of Arabic. These books must reflect the richness and universality of the Arab language, and should provide teachers and students with a systematic approach to that language. Also, people should not be led to think that teaching Arabic equals teaching Islam. As far as the forty recognised schools are concerned, the Ministry of Education says that the teachers in these schools are educated, they have a diploma and are being recruited in the same way as are other teachers. Problems begin in the private sector, because an Arabic school can very well start in a tiny room and remain there as long as the teacher is able to make a living. The government is making efforts to train suitable and qualified Arabic teachers in the training college, but the State cannot guarantee employment for those who have followed the Arabic course. Senegalese citizens who graduated as engineers, doctors, agronomists are at work in the country, but they are efficient only if they use French. Here lies the paradox. If the Arab language is to stop being a foreign language and become a means of communication, the population will have to accept and integrate it, in its culture. But people will not easily accept a language if they see no immediate advantage to it. And people don't yet see any advantage with Arabic in Senegal.

END

CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE

PeaceLink 1997 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement