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Washington Post
a day ago
- General
- Washington Post
A German city mobilizes to save Sorbian, a vanishing Slavic language
BAUTZEN, Germany — In the singsong cadence of Sorbian, Europe's westernmost Slavic language, a milk-drinking dragon came to life in a small preschool in Bautzen, a German town in east Saxony, not far from the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic. Outside, bilingual signs mark the town's name not only as Bautzen but Budyšin, in Sorbian. Inside, a dozen children giggled as a teacher animated the green dragon hand puppet, telling a modern tale rooted in Slavic folklore. The Sorbs, a West Slavic group, settled in what is now eastern Germany more than 1,000 years ago and never left. Borders shifted, regimes and ideologies changed. But the Sorbian language, in its upper and lower variants, endured. Now, however, the Sorbian language is on the brink, threatened by assimilation and also overt hostility from the region's surging German ultra-nationalists. In response, artists, educators and tech innovators are undertaking an urgent effort to preserve the language and Sorbian customs. 'The language can only be saved if more and more people speak it,' said Stefan Schmidt, a Sorbian-language broadcaster and father of five Sorbian-speaking children. 'It's an ambitious goal.' The Sorbs are one of Germany's four officially recognized national minorities, alongside the Danes, Frisians, Sinti and Roma. The designation provides cultural funding, education and media in Sorbian, as well as protection under European law. Fewer than 20,000 people still speak Upper Sorbian in Saxony — and even fewer speak Lower Sorbian in Brandenburg. UNESCO, the United Nations cultural and educational arm, lists Sorbian as endangered, along with other minority languages such as Welsh and Breton. Beate Brězan, head of the Witaj Language Center in Bautzen, has a bold goal: 100,000 active Sorbian speakers by 2100. State and federal funding, bilingual signage and public awareness campaigns help, Brězan said — but the true battleground is within family homes. 'What happens at home is key to the language's survival,' she said. This isn't the first time Sorbian has confronted extinction-level risk. The Nazis sought to erase Sorbian identity through cultural annihilation and assimilation, and banned the language from public use. In the former East Germany, Sorbs were given more freedom, but only within a tightly controlled framework that often commodified their traditions. Across the rest of Germany, the Sorbs are best known for their elaborate traditional dress, or 'Tracht,' and their colorful Easter eggs. But here in the Lusatia region — straddling Brandenburg and Saxony — the effort is to make Sorbian relevant day-to-day, not just in folklore or on holidays. The Witaj Language Center's digital arm, for example, is working to ensure Sorbian has a digital presence. Its Sorbian translation app, Sotra, launched in 2019, is now being developed to include speech functions. In a small studio in Bautzen, Sorbian native speakers like Veronika Butendeich have recorded hours of Sorbian sentences. It's painstaking work — but essential if children are to use the language digitally, said Daniel Zoba, who leads the digitization effort. 'If it's not available in Sorbian, they'll take it in another language — and get used to German or English,' Zoba said. At Jan Radyserb Wjela preschool, named for a 19th-century Sorbian poet, about 80 percent of the children come from German-speaking families. 'We speak only Sorbian with the children,' day care director, Grit Hentschel, said. 'They first understand through constant listening — and only later start to speak.' For Hentschel, who learned Sorbian at school while growing up in a German home, the mission is personal. 'I really live the Sorbian culture and I wear my Tracht with pride,' she said. 'We're especially proud when former students come back and say they passed their school exams in Sorbian,' she said. With fewer children raised in Sorbian-speaking homes, maintaining native-speaking staff is a challenge. The facility now partners with a local vocational college to sustain staffing. Sorbian language is taught just as much through Sorbian culture. The highlight of the year at the preschool is Ptači Kwas (Upper Sorbian for 'Bird Wedding'), a midwinter tradition, featuring Tracht crafted by a dwindling number of seamstresses like Petra Kupke in nearby Räckelwitz. The country road from to Kupke's studio winds through rolling cornfields, flanked by ornate wayside monuments that bear witness to the Upper Sorbs' deep Catholic roots. Across the state border in Brandenburg, the Lower Sorbs have traditionally followed the Protestant faith. Kupke, 57, began sewing Sorbian outfits in the mid-1990s after losing her factory job following German reunification. She learned from local grandmothers mastering the intricate floral embroidery to keep Sorbian identity alive, one stitch at a time. 'It makes me proud to look around the church at festivals and see my work,' she said. But with few young people taking up the craft, she worries for its future. Training an apprentice is expensive. Traditionally, the outfits are worn only on religious and festive holidays, and Kupke believes things should stay that way. But some younger Sorbs have begun to merge elements of the Tracht with modern streetwear. Janźel Panaš — known onstage as Angel van Hell — is one young Sorb pushing boundaries. Earlier this year, Panaš, 24, performed in drag at the first non-heteronormative bird wedding organized in Cottbus by Kolektiw Wakuum, an initiative that aims to create a space for feminist and queer elements within Sorbian society. Wearing traditional ribbons, an apron and a denim bonnet, Panaš played the role of the wedding entertainer. 'My mum was worried I'd upset people — the bonnet didn't fully cover my hair, like it's supposed to,' he recalled. But for Panaš, blending tradition with personal identity offers a path forward to preserving Sorbian culture. Dressed in drag, on a hot August day in his hometown of Schleife, Panaš wore one of his favorite pieces: a neck bow passed down from his great-grandmother and updated with a silver hoop chain. 'She was the last person in our family who really spoke Sorbian,' he said of his great-grandmother. Even in Germany, 'many people outside of Lusatia don't even know that Sorbs exist,' he said. Rural population decline is one of the main challenges. But for families like Andrea Schmidt's in Räckelwitz, the language is very much alive. Growing up in Crostwitz, Sorbian was part of everyday life. Now, her grandchildren carry on the legacy. 'Witaj Wowka!' her granddaughter Hana, 20, called through the kitchen door — 'Hi grandma!' 'It would feel artificial to speak German with the children,' Schmidt, 61, said. Jurij, 4, the youngest of Hana's four brothers, entertained himself on the lawn with a toy horse, practicing to ride through the village as an 'Osterreiter,' or 'Easter rider' — a traditional Sorbian procession proclaiming the resurrection. Despite studying and living in a big city, Hana still speaks Sorbian with her roommates from back home. In her teenage years, she once had doubts: 'There was a phase when we spoke more German. But the awareness of how important Sorbian is came back quickly.' An emerging threat from ultra-nationalists is a concern for many Sorbs. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, classified as extremist by domestic intelligence, is surging in the Sorbs' traditional heartland. Last year, the Domowina, an umbrella organization of Sorbian societies, banned AfD officials and candidates from holding office within its ranks. A number of young Sorbs recounted incidents in which they were threatened by far-right groups and told to speak German. Despite the hostility, families like the Schmidts remain defiant. 'We definitely don't avoid speaking Sorbian,' Hana said. For her grandmother, protecting the language is a matter of identity and of the heart. 'It's amazing with how much emotion and with how much love you can pass it on,' Andrea said. 'If you don't put your heart and soul into it, it won't work.'
Morocco World
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Five Moroccan Youth Handball Players Disappear During Tournament in Poland
Rabat — Five Moroccan handball players disappeared from their team headquarters during a youth tournament in Poland last month. This incident marks the second involving Moroccan athletes in the country within ten days. Players left their delegation during the Under-19 tournament in late June, embarrassing Moroccan officials and prompting a formal investigation. Morocco's National Authority for Fighting Corruption in Sports contacted the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports about what they called a 'sporting and diplomatic scandal.' Investigators suspect 'internal collusion' may have helped the players escape, with officials having identified a man over 30 years old who traveled with the delegation and allegedly has connections to illegal migration networks. As it happens, the Moroccan Handball Federation faces criticism for failing to send responsible officials to accompany the young players and staff during the tournament. This incident follows another disappearance involving Moroccan handball players in Poland. Two members of Morocco's Under-21 national team vanished during the World Championship held from June 18-29. Oussama Hakaoui and Moubarak Messaoudi, both players from Ittihad Nouacer, left their hotel during a stopover in Bologna, Italy, before the team traveled to Poland. Neither player has made contact since their disappearance. The back-to-back incidents signal growing concerns about Moroccan athletes using sporting events as opportunities to illegally immigrate. Anti-corruption officials have called for an urgent investigation into both cases. In 2022, a similar case took place when three players from Morocco's national amputee football team fled the Amp Futbol Cup 2022 in Poland. Meanwhile, eight Moroccan minors fled the World School Championship in Slovakia in May of the same year. Tags: Handball playersHandball tournamentMoroccoPoland
Ya Biladi
01-07-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Morocco's National AI Conference highlights urgent need for training
Training public and private sector actors in artificial intelligence (AI) tools is essential to fully harness the potential of these emerging technologies, ministers said on Tuesday in Salé during the opening plenary of the National AI Conference. As AI becomes a key driver of competitiveness, training has become a critical requirement for turning this opportunity into a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive growth, the speakers emphasized. Mohamed Saad Berrada, Minister of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, underscored the importance of mastering AI tools to improve educational system management and tackle pressing challenges, particularly in processing data related to students and teachers. He cited AI's potential to personalize curricula, support continuous teacher training, enhance language learning, and help reduce absenteeism and dropout rates. Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills, stressed that AI is a transformative force for the job market. In light of this shift, he said the government's role is to integrate AI within a tailored legal and regulatory framework that unlocks the full potential of society. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, highlighted the vital link between energy and AI: «Without energy, there are no servers, no data centers, and no AI», she said. Benali noted that Morocco plans to double its capacity for producing non-conventional energy in under five years—a leap equivalent to the progress made over the past three decades. Chakib Alj, President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), pointed to the urgent need to effectively implement Morocco's national AI strategy. He emphasized the private sector's need for skilled engineers and digital talent, praising the 1337 coding school as a successful model for training tech-savvy youth—a model, he suggested, that should be scaled up to meet evolving market demands.
CNA
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Arts groups boost offerings as NAC expands arts education programme to all preschools by 2027
SINGAPORE: The National Arts Council (NAC) plans to expand its Arts Education Programme (AEP) to include all preschools by 2027. The AEP currently serves more than 500 government-assisted preschools. It offers about 1,400 programmes led by 300 artists and arts groups, supported by about 2,000 registered arts educators. Some arts groups under the AEP have seen demand for their services tripling since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. ARTS GROUPS PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS One group that has seen an increased demand is Sri Warisan, a performing arts company founded in 1997. It teaches wayang kulit, or shadow puppet theatre, to preschoolers under the AEP. The group uses special lightweight shadow puppets that have fewer pointed edges and are more colourful in design. This is meant to appeal to children and make the art form more accessible. Its managing director Adel Ahmad said its method of teaching wayang kulit allows children to learn cultural values from the art form. He noted that the AEP has helped in preserving traditional Malay culture and tradition. Educators also highlighted the value of children learning from hands-on experience. "It benefits the children's learning out of the classroom, and they're able to gain more knowledge in terms of learning out of the box,' said Ms Suriani Ahmad Bakri, a centre manager with Happy Town Childcare, which hired Sri Warisan to conduct classes for its students. The company has grown from working with 10 preschools in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, to bookings with 38 preschools for January to August this year. However, that has led to difficulties in recruiting trained arts educators, said Mr Adel. Aside from increasing full-time staff to 13, he has also engaged 30 part-timers, of which 22 started as student members of the arts group. The other eight are freelancers who are musicians or dance instructors recommended by existing instructors. He added that Sri Warisan also intends to teach more programmes such as regional dances as part of the AEP. Another AEP partner that aims to give children an early exposure to performing arts is Muse Arts. It has seen about 20 per cent increase in engagements since 2022 and has doubled its offerings of dance, music and musical theatre programmes, said the group's founder Jacintha Tan. She added that the group's programmes are tailored to school themes such as 'My parents are my superheroes' or 'Be honest with each other'. The organisation also conducts workshops for educators who need support teaching music, dance or drama. Ms Tan added that preschool staff are required to undergo early childhood training for at least three months to ensure competency in class management while conducting lessons. TRAINING EDUCATORS As the AEP broadens its reach, the NAC said that it is working to improve the quality of artist-led learning programmes. This includes improving the teaching skills of arts educators through partnerships with early childhood experts. Ms May Tan, director of education and manpower development at NAC's arts ecosystem group, said artists play an important role as educators. "Arts educators are … essential in nurturing life skills such as critical thinking, creativity and social emotional learning," she said. Professor Kwok Kian Woon, vice-chancellor of University of the Arts Singapore, said that arts education has been evolving. He noted that more young people are being exposed to the arts, which could eventually lead them to study to become artists and educators. 'A first experience may lead students to become more curious. They may also look forward to subsequent experiences,' said Prof Kwok. 'I think this is a very good exposure which would lead to our students finding their way throughout the rest of their lives, to appreciate, learn … and to become more expressive,' he added. A 2023 NAC population survey on the arts also showed that people who have an early engagement in the arts tend to continue doing so later in life. Ms Tan said: 'As we have a greater population participating in the arts, they see the value in the arts. They appreciate our local arts, and therefore they … fuel the ecosystem, to build a stronger demand for the arts that are created by our artists.'
Morocco World
05-06-2025
- General
- Morocco World
Schools Across Morocco Urged to Continue Classes After Eid Al Adha Holidays
Rabat – Teachers, parents, and students across Morocco have received instructions from regional education authorities to continue classes after the Eid Al Adha holidays. These directives were sent by the Regional Academies of Education and Training, following the national schedule set by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, SNRT News reported. The academy of the Casablanca-Settat region issued a statement urging parents and guardians to ensure that students return to school and continue attending classes regularly until the end of the school year, as outlined by the Ministry. The academy explained that this decision supports the goals of the 2022-2026 Roadmap for Education Reform, especially the action plans for 2024 and 2025, which aim to build a quality school system for all. Classes will continue according to the updated school calendar for 2024-2025. The official memo said that students must attend school until all lessons are completed. Any unjustified absence before the official end of classes will be considered a violation of school rules. The academy also called on teachers, parents, and all education partners to stay engaged and help make this final phase of the school year successful for students. Continuous assessment tests in primary schools will take place from June 9 to 14, while the national exam for sixth-grade students is scheduled for June 23 and 24. Middle school students are set to take exams between June 9 and 14, with the regional exam for ninth-grade students set for June 17 and 18. Classes for middle school students will continue until June 28. First-year and second-year high school student will take their continuous assessment exams from June 16 to 21, with classes also running through to June 28. Tags: EducationEid Al AdhaMoroccoSchools
