Social media platforms in Algeria have recently shared video clips showing a group of medical students from Mouloud Mammeri University in the city of Tizi Ouzu wearing graduation gowns and standing together in a university lecture hall. They are taking an oath in the French language under the supervision of their professors, a scene that has caused widespread public anger.
The medical students' oath in French has triggered a wide debate. Some consider this step part of university traditions, while others see it as an affront to national identity and a diminution of the nation's and country's language. They argue that «using the language of the colonizer in sensitive ceremonies affects national identity».
Activists on social media criticized the use of French in official ceremonies within a university institution, stating that taking an oath in foreign languages does not reflect the transformations the country is undergoing to promote the use of Arabic language in institutions and official events.
Meanwhile, others defended this practice, pointing out that medical education in Algeria has been fundamentally based on French references and curricula for decades, and thus taking the oath in the language of training is a natural thing.
