By Siham Rouabah, University of Southampton
Today, on International Mother Language Day, a moment dedicated to recognising linguistic diversity as a foundation for sustainable development, it is worth reflecting on the profound difference that learning in one’s mother tongue can make. The 2025 Spotlight Report on basic education and foundational learning in Africa examines policies that promote home languages as languages of instruction, as well as the significant political, institutional, and social obstacles they face. Language politics matters. It builds on a substantial body of evidence showing that, when children begin their education in their home language, they are more likely to develop strong reading comprehension skills, not only in that language, but also in additional languages later on. Across Africa, programmes centred on non-dominant home languages (L1) consistently deliver better learning outcomes than those relying on a language that learners do not speak (L2). Successful examples span the continent, from Burkina Faso to Ethiopia, and from Guinea-Bissau to South Africa.
I authored a case study for the 2025 Spotlight Report to deepen the discussion through an analysis of language policy and classroom practice in primary education in Algeria, with particular attention to the integration of Tamazight.
Tamazight is taught only until grade 4 in Algeria
Algeria’s linguistic landscape is both rich and stratified. Modern Standard Arabic is the language of schooling and administration. Algerian Arabic is the language of daily interaction; French continues to structure access to higher education and employment, while English is expanding in some university programmes. Tamazight, spoken in several regional varieties by millions of Algerians, was recognised as a national language in 2002 and as an official language in 2016. Yet this constitutional shift has not translated into a central place for Tamazight in primary education.
Tamazight currently appears in primary school only as an optional subject from Grade 4, for a few hours per week. By that stage, children have already spent several years learning through Modern Standard Arabic and, in many cases, have begun French. Introducing the home language at this point weakens the very rationale of mother-tongue education, which is to support early literacy and facilitate the transition into formal schooling. In practice, Tamazight remains disconnected from the rest of the curriculum. It is taught as a separate subject rather than used as a medium for learning other disciplines. Students quickly understand that it has little impact on academic progression, affecting their motivation and resulting in low uptake.
One of the most frequently cited challenges is the absence of a single standard variety. The current school form of Tamazight combines elements from different regional varieties and incorporates newly codified vocabulary and structures. While this approach seeks inclusivity, it produces a linguistic form that is not fully native to any speech community. Teachers and learners must therefore navigate issues of familiarity, legitimacy and comprehension.
The question of script further complicates implementation. Latin is widely used in teacher training and educational materials, particularly in Kabyle-speaking areas. Tifinagh carries strong symbolic value as an ancestral script. Arabic is preferred by some for its continuity with the broader education system. The coexistence of these scripts reflects deeper debates about identity and national cohesion, but in pedagogical terms it fragments material development and teacher preparation.
Importantly, no language policy can succeed without trained teachers. Tamazight is still absent from the core curriculum of national teacher training institutions. Most teachers who currently teach the subject have relied on short in-service courses, often organised during the summer and not always linked to a clear national framework. Similarly, teaching materials remain uneven. Early textbook projects that attempted to use multiple scripts and cover several regional varieties simultaneously created confusion in classrooms. To date, there is no unified national teacher guide that provides structured lesson planning, assessment models and progression pathways. This lack of coherence leaves teachers to improvise. While many show strong commitment, the system does not yet provide the institutional support required for sustainable implementation.
The status of Tamazight in education cannot be separated from its political history. For some actors, its institutionalisation is seen primarily as a response to identity-based demands rather than as a pedagogically driven reform. This perception affects how the subject is valued within schools and how resources are allocated. The result is a gap between symbolic recognition and educational integration.
Official status has raised expectations, but classroom realities have changed more slowly. Available data show that only a small proportion of Algerian students study Tamazight, and provision is highly regionalised. There are still no cases in which Tamazight functions as a language of instruction for other subjects, even in regions where it is widely spoken. This uneven distribution raises questions about equity. A language that is constitutionally official is not yet accessible to all learners as part of their basic education.
If the goal is to use the child’s strongest language as a foundation for learning, the current model needs reconsideration. International experience suggests that three elements are decisive:
- early introduction in the first years of schooling,
- integration with the teaching of literacy and other subjects,
- systematic teacher preparation and resource development
Analysis in the 2024 Spotlight Report shows that across much of Africa, early exit policies remain the norm. While 31 countries (57%) have adopted bilingual or multilingual education using children’s first language (L1) for early literacy before transitioning to a second language (L2) most require that shift to happen too soon. In fact, 23 of these countries mandate a move to the second language before Grade 5. Although about 80% continue teaching local languages as subjects, they are no longer used for learning core content. To truly support strong foundations and lasting learning, mother tongue instruction must extend beyond the early grades.
Read the 2025 Spotlight Report: Lead for foundational learning
Read the advocacy brief: the right multilingual policies can unlock learning and inclusion.
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