Arabic language taught in Italian schools begins, surprisingly, in the fortress of the Northeast, the hard and pure Treviso. Just the inhabitants of the Marca Gioiosa, who pushed for the Venetian dialect to be the official language, people are now sending their children to learn Arabic. In fact the elementary school Coletti will begin the lessons as part of a course on Arabic language and culture . “The institute in Treviso is the first in Italy to implement an Arabic language course totally free, paid for by the Government of Morocco” says professor Zinoun Bouchra, of Moroccan descent “…children in third to fifth grade will have the opportunity to learn the Arabic alphabet, and the history and culture they come into contact with through many of their companions. And all during the school day, Treviso is ahead of the curve offering this as absolutely free.”
