| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
|
|
left behind their language, which was perhaps one of their most sacred patrimoines nationals (national patrimonies or heritages) and the bedrock upon which they had built their colonial policies.
In this general uproar, marked by waves of decolonisation forces and nationalism, Senegal claimed political independence from France in 1960, and Léopold Sédar Senghor became the country's first president. He did not, however, curtail the French language or culture in Senegal with the advent of independence. In fact, Senghor, who was well known for his fondness of the French language and culture, felt almost ‘orphaned’ by the sudden withdrawal of the colonial masters. Fearing the complete loss of the French language and culture, Senghor vowed to do his utmost to uphold both in Senegal, in other African nations, and in the rest of the world. With this goal, he drafted the first Senegalese constitution himself and ensured that it stated unambiguously that French was the only official language of Senegal. In addition, Senghor toured the world with other leaders to spread the Francophonie movement, the linguistic and economic club of French speakers and Francophile elites around the world.
However, pressure to give the national languages more power and prominence had begun during the French occupation and continued intensely in Senegal after it attained independence. Senghor's political adversaries, teacher and student unions, workers, and language pressure groups roundly criticised his government for the language and education programmes he chose for the Senegalese people. In a bid to defend its policies and convince its opponents of their worth, Senghor's government contended in decree no. 71-566 of May 21, 1971 that
For Senghor, it was evident that promoting the national languages and eventually using them as languages of instruction would be a serious