The Algerian president announced the inclusion of the English language in the primary education curricula starting this year, considering French "a war booty for Algerians, but the international language is English."
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that the decision to include English in the primary education curricula will be starting this year, considering that "the French language is a war booty for Algerians."
Tebboune's announcement came in an interview with local media, excerpts of which were broadcast by the Algerian presidency on Facebook on Saturday.
On June 19, President Tebboune ordered the adoption of the English language, starting from the primary stage.
Teaching English in Algeria now starts from the intermediate (preparatory) stage, and according to the decision, English will become the second foreign language in the primary stage besides French.
In response to the date of the beginning of the implementation of the resolution, Tebboune said in the interview: "It will be implemented this year in order for Algeria to enter the world (..) the French are a spoil of war, but the international language is English."
The phrase "French war booty" is used in Algeria by political and cultural circles to express that it is one of the inevitable results of the long period of French colonialism (1830/1962).
A report by the International Organization of the Francophonie in 2022 revealed that about 15 million Algerians (out of 45 million) speak French.
In recent years, demands have escalated from Algerian parties and associations calling for the inclusion of English in the early years of education, as it is the most widely used language in scientific circles worldwide.