World News
Algeria to introduce English before French in primary schools starting 2026
The country is restructuring its education and public sectors as diplomatic relations with France deteriorate.
The short version
- Algeria's Education Ministry announced that English will become the sole foreign language taught to third-year primary students in the 2026-2027 academic year, pushing French to the fourth year.
- The change expands President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's initiative to replace French with English across primary schools, university science departments, road signs, and official administrative uses.
- The policy shift coincides with severe diplomatic tensions with France after Paris backed Morocco's sovereignty claim over Western Sahara in July 2024.
- Critics and educators question whether Algeria has enough qualified English teachers and adequate university preparation to implement the transition effectively.
Key facts
- Algerian Education Minister Mohamed Seghir Saadaoui announced on July 25 that third-year primary students will learn English as their only foreign language starting in the 2026-2027 school year.[Al Jazeera]
- The change moves French instruction down to the fourth year of primary school for eight-year-old students.[Al Jazeera]
- President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's broader plan includes shifting university medical and science faculties to English and removing French from utility bills, flight tickets, and government websites.[Al Jazeera]
- The language policy accelerated following a diplomatic dispute in July 2024 when French President Emmanuel Macron supported Morocco's claim to Western Sahara.[Al Jazeera]
- In February, Algeria's education ministry reportedly hired roughly 15,000 English language teachers for primary schools.[Al Jazeera]
- An estimated 15 million Algerians, or nearly one-third of the population, currently speak French.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- It remains disputed whether Algeria possesses enough trained, qualified English instructors to execute the primary school and higher education language reforms smoothly.[Al Jazeera]