Algeria Bans French Educational Curriculum amid Worsening Disputes with Paris

 The Algerian President with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in Algeria on Oct. 10, 2022 (Algerian Presidency)
The Algerian President with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in Algeria on Oct. 10, 2022 (Algerian Presidency)
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Algeria Bans French Educational Curriculum amid Worsening Disputes with Paris

 The Algerian President with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in Algeria on Oct. 10, 2022 (Algerian Presidency)
The Algerian President with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in Algeria on Oct. 10, 2022 (Algerian Presidency)

Algeria’s Ministry of Education has warned more than 500 private schools against using the French curriculum, threatening to resort to the judiciary in the event of non-compliance with the decision, which comes in the context of the conflict between the two countries over the history of France’s colonial past in Algeria.

While the Algerian education law stipulates the application of the local curriculum only, an inspection conducted by the ministry highlighted a certain degree of non-compliance, as some schools adopt the French curriculum exclusively, to meet the demands of the parents, who hope to send their children to French universities in the future.

In parallel with this measure, which raises controversy among students and parents alike, the National Center for Distance Education announced that it will stop receiving registration requests for those wishing to sit the French baccalaureate exam, which is held in May of each year.

Pedagogy specialists have pointed to a number of problems faced by baccalaureate holders when they are forced to continue their education in French in many Algerian colleges and universities, in the fields of medicine, engineering, and various sciences.

According to observers, these government decisions reflect the intensifying conflict between the two countries over the history of French colonialism in Algeria. While the Algerians insist that France apologize for the crimes of the occupation, Paris categorically refuses to make such step.

Last year, the Algerian government introduced the teaching of English in the first educational cycle, in preparation for replacing the French language, which has been used as the official language of companies and government agencies since independence in 1962.

In 2021, several ministries started applying Arabic in all their internal correspondence and documents, prohibiting their staff from using a language other than Arabic. This came in response to statements by French President Emmanuel Macron in October 2021, in which he said that Algeria was not a nation before the French occupation in 1830.



Jordan Rejects Attempts of 'Some Parties' to Violate its Airspace

Projectile flies in the sky over Jordan after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, as seen from Amman, Jordan October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
Projectile flies in the sky over Jordan after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, as seen from Amman, Jordan October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
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Jordan Rejects Attempts of 'Some Parties' to Violate its Airspace

Projectile flies in the sky over Jordan after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, as seen from Amman, Jordan October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
Projectile flies in the sky over Jordan after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, as seen from Amman, Jordan October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak

Jordan rejected on Saturday all attempts to involve the country in the regional conflict by violating its airspace, Petra, the news agency of Jordan said on Saturday.
Jordan’s government official spokesperson, Dr. Mohammed al-Momani stressed in a statement that Jordan rejects attempts by “some parties in the region” to violate its airspace, especially by launching drones.
He said some of these drones have entered the Kingdom's airspace and parts and structures of which fell inside Jordanian territory recently.
He described these breaches as a significant "threat", assuring that Jordan’s armed forces will not hesitate to address such breaches according to its military rules of engagement.
The Kingdom is implementing all "necessary" measures to confront these violations effectively, Momani said.
Over the past two months, an exchange of projectiles between Iran and Iraqi factions on one side, and Israel on the other, flew in the sky over Jordan. Jordan is located at the midpoint between the two.