Algeria changes university language – TVN24

The Ministry of Higher Education Algeria decided to give up French and replace it with English. Changes at all universities are to come into force from September, when the new academic year begins.

The ministry in the regulation issued at the beginning of April explained that ultimately English would be the basic language of teaching in all educational institutions of the country.

In North Africa, Algeria is the third largest user of the French language, which is used by 33 percent of the population. In this part of the continent, most people, as much as 52 percent, use French in Tunisia. In neighboring Morocco It is used by 35 percent, according to the French Language Observatory report from 2018.

“Movement is both political and educational”

“To be honest, it is difficult to separate politics from education in such a context, especially when both countries have such a deep and complex history. In my opinion, this movement is both political and educational, but the political dimension will probably now be a stronger driving force” – explained in the university of the World News “the decision of the Ministry of Professor Bouraoui Seyfallah from the University Boumediene in Algeria. Departure from French in Algerian academic centers is one of the effects of tension that appeared during the year in the relations between Algeria and France.

Voltage on the Algeria-France line

These tensions appeared in July 2024, and the impulse for them was the support of France for Morocco's claims to sovereignty over Western Sahara. Algeria in a dispute with her eastern neighbor supports separatists from the polysario front, wanting to break away from Morocco is rich in territory resources. This support gave Morocco meant that in July last year Algier withdrew his ambassador from France.

The next exacerbation took place on Monday, when Algeria's authorities demanded that the country leave 12 employees of the French embassy after three Algerians were detained in France. A day later, Paris issued 12 employees of the Algerian embassy and called his ambassador from Algier to consult.