المدرسة الاستعمارية في الجزائر:آلة للقمع أم أداة للتحرر؟ (1830-1962)

The Colonial School in Algeria: A Machine of Repression or a Tool of Liberation? (1830-1962)

Abstract

This study analyzes the educational policy implemented by the French colonial administration in Algeria between 1830 and 1962. It explores the fundamental contradiction between the proclaimed goal of a "civilizing mission" and the true function of the colonial school, which was essentially designed as a tool for social, political, and cultural hegemony. Using a methodology of discourse analysis and historical critique, the study demonstrates how this policy sought to produce obedient and economically useful "natives," through a dual and discriminatory educational system. However, the article also highlights the historical paradox whereby this oppressive machine became an arena for hidden resistance and a space for the appropriation of tools. Ultimately, Algerian elites were able to harness the knowledge and French language acquired in these schools to serve the national liberation project. The study concludes that the colonial educational experience in Algeria constitutes a clear example of the complexity and dynamics of the relationship between power and resistance in colonial contexts.