Algeria is giving English a growing role in its education system, gradually reducing French's prominence in schools in a move that has sparked debate across the North African country.
Beginning this school year, English is becoming the first foreign language taught to pupils, starting in the third year of primary school, three years after the language was first introduced at that level, Caliber.Az reports, citing Middle East Eye.
The article says, until 2023, French was the only foreign language taught in primary schools, beginning in the third grade. The policy had been in place since Algeria gained independence in 1962. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune subsequently ordered the introduction of English in the third year of primary school, where it was initially taught alongside French. English had previously been introduced only at the secondary-school level.
Tebboune argued that English is the language of science and therefore should have a stronger presence in the education system.
English will also gain greater importance in secondary education, with more teaching hours and a higher coefficient in the end-of-cycle examination.
French instruction at high-school level, meanwhile, has not yet been altered. However, Education Minister Mohamed Saâdaoui said English teaching would be expanded.
The National Federation of Parents of Students Associations welcomed the reform, describing English as “the language that gives access to science and technology, and therefore, ultimately, to better study and job prospects for pupils”.
The article also notes that the government’s announcement has sparked widespread debate over the legacy of French colonialism and Algeria’s relations with France. Former minister and member of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) El-Hachemi Djaaboub, known for his critical stance towards French influence, said that postponing the teaching of French was an act of sovereignty.
The article stresses that the declining status of Molière’s language in Algerian schools comes amid continued diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France, exacerbated in 2024 by French President Emmanuel Macron’s support for Morocco’s claims to sovereignty over Western Sahara.
In France, some media outlets have criticised Algeria’s decision to promote the use of English, viewing it as an attempt to weaken Paris’s cultural and political influence in the country.
According to the author, discussions on social media indicate that part of the population in the African country now views French as a colonial legacy that should be discarded. Some have even called for the complete abolition of French-language teaching.
Meanwhile, former MSP chairman Abderrazak Makri said the changes should be radical.
“We must put an end to France’s colonial legacy. Even President Macron speaks more English than French when he is abroad. Today, English is a universal language; it is time for Algerians to embrace it and stand alongside the great nations,” he noted.
By Bakhtiyar Abbasov
