Belgian Lawmaker Proposes Controversial Bill to Allow Arabic in Schools

"The use of the mother tongue in the classroom stimulates the knowledge of Dutch and multilingualism in general. There is a broad scientific consensus on the usefulness of this measure." This is how MP Élisabeth Meuleman of Groen justified the merits of the resolution she introduced to enshrine the use of the mother tongue in school in law.

What motivates the elected representative is the scientific results and experiences from abroad and Belgium, which are convincing. According to her, it is scientifically proven that increased attention to the mother tongue at school has no negative impact on the learning of Dutch. Moreover, "the conclusions even go in the opposite direction: it promotes the learning of Dutch among allophone students".

The Groen MP is counting on broad support from her colleagues for this resolution to succeed. She hopes that together they will be able to rally beyond political divides. However, the Minister of Education, Ben Weyts, is already strongly opposed to Élisabeth Meuleman’s proposal.

"The quality of education will only decrease. Arabic or Polish in the classroom will not help students progress. We cannot ask teachers to master the different languages spoken by students at home," he hammered. For the minister, there is only Dutch, the common language that unites the children. He also intends to introduce a Dutch language test for all students from the third year of kindergarten, reports Het Laatste Nieuws.