The new school curriculum introduces several changes to the teaching of History. Among the main modifications is the shifting of certain chapters dedicated to the history of Madagascar from one grade level to another.
Starting this school year, colonial history is no longer taught in the third year of middle school (classe de troisième) or the first year of high school (classe de première). However, this period remains part of the curriculum.
“However, this theme is not completely removed from the curriculum. It is still taught in the fourth year (classe de quatrième) under the new program,” assures Rija R., a history teacher at a public school in Antananarivo.
This information was confirmed by a source at the Ministry of National Education, who was unable to specify the reasons for this reorganization. We were also unable to reach the person responsible for this change.
According to the 2026-2027 annual curriculum, fourth-year students will now study several periods of Madagascar’s history, including the Malagasy kingdoms from the 15th to the 19th century, the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1810 to 1896, the colonial period from 1895 to 1960, as well as the country’s cultural and historical heritage.
In the third year, the curriculum focuses on Madagascar under the various Republics, as well as the commemoration and celebration of collective memories.
In the first year of high school, the lesson on the colonization of Madagascar has been replaced by a chapter on the history of photography. “This new chapter focuses on the arrival of photography in Madagascar, linked to the civilizing mission of Christians. In my opinion, this chapter was introduced to study the arrival of this technology in our country and its impact on historical narrative,” indicates Rija R.
For the teacher, both the history of colonization and the history of photography remain important in student education. “They allow students to deepen their knowledge of history and conduct their own research.”
When asked about the consequences of this change, teachers believe that this new distribution should not affect the expected knowledge of students. “What they learned in lower grades remains an asset for higher grades,” explains a teacher of the discipline.
A historian from the University of Antananarivo points out that a single chapter does not necessarily need to be repeated at multiple levels. He also highlights the value of integrating art and imagery into history teaching. “Sometimes we do not measure the importance of art, even though images preserve our culture: they are living archives,” he emphasizes.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-15 06:09:17 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/enseignement-le-nouveau-programme.html