French school in Rabat ordered to increase Arabic class hours

Despite the objections of some students' parents, the French Council of State recently issued a decision to increase the hours of Arabic language instruction at a school affiliated with the French mission in Rabat.

The decision, made by France's highest administrative judicial body, approves an increase in Arabic language teaching hours for CE1 and CM2 students from three hours to five hours per week at the André Chénier School of the French Mission in Rabat.

The controversy dates back to 2019 when the school's administration decided to increase Arabic language hours based on a joint declaration of intent between Morocco and France, signed in November 2017, to promote educational cooperation between the two countries. This decision sparked disapproval from some parents, who considered the increased hours to be an additional pressure on students, which could affect the quality of education, and prompted them to resort to the French judiciary to cancel it.

Initially, the Paris Administrative Court ruled in favor of the parents, followed by the Administrative Court of Appeal, which upheld this position in January 2023, resulting in the decision being overturned. However, the school administration appealed the ruling to the French Council of State, which issued its latest decision in favor of increasing the hours of Arabic language teaching, considering it part of efforts to improve the educational process and promote international cooperation.

It is worth noting that Framework Law 51.17 on Morocco's education, training, and scientific research system obliges foreign educational institutions in the Kingdom to teach Arabic and Amazigh languages to all Moroccan students, to ensure the preservation of their national identity while adhering to signed bilateral agreements.