Contextualiser la place du français et du malgache dans le système éducatif du Madagascar : une perspective historique

Before France colonised Madagascar in 1896, most Malagasy schoolchildren attended schools run by Protestant missions where the language of instruction was Malagasy. The written Malagasy language was based on the dialect of the politically dominant group Merina, and written down by British missionaries during the 1820s. The colonial power put a lot of emphasis on the French language as it was seen as an important instrument in the assimilation policy and in the creation of elites that could serve the colonial power. The local colonial administration had, however, an impact on how policies were implemented in its possessions. Madagascar is an interesting case due to the existence and use of the written Malagasy language in the pre-colonial era. Although policies of assimilation were dominant, there were disagreements within the administration regarding the status of the Malagasy language within education. The main argument was that this language would strengthen the politically dominant Merina ethnic group and could stimulate Malagasy nationalism at the expense of assimilation. The Protestant missions continued to use Malagasy as the language of instruction in their schools throughout the colonial period. They also lobbied the colonial government regarding the pedagogic benefits of using the local language. Although the use of French as language of instruction was the dominant policy, some French administrators were in favour of using Malagasy at the first levels. For instance, Governor-General from 1924 to 1929, Marcel Olivier, did not emphasise French as the language of instruction as strongly as the classic French general colonial educational policy built on assimilation. The different perspectives and views of governorgenerals and directors of education illustrate very well the tensions connected with the practice of literacy and government powers. The Malagasy experience shows how the language of instruction remains an important political issue, and not mainly a pedagogic matter promoting what is best for the pupils. Theories within the field of literacy discuss literacy as a social practice and an instrument of power. Its general diffusion has been associated with the development of democracy, but also with oppression. The language of instruction affects the function of literacy and this article shows how the question related to language of instruction has been impacted by political and pedagogic arguments according to different historical and political contexts.