Facts: Algeria and education

View background information about Algeria and its education.

  • Country: Algeria (الجزائر), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (الجمهورية الجزائرية الديمقراطية الشعبية). Algeria was a French colony. French remains an important language of instruction within the country. The official languages of Algeria are Arabic and Tamazight (Berber).
  • Responsible for education:
  • Primary and secondary education: the Ministry of National Education, Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale;
  • Vocational education: the Ministry of Professional Training and Employment, Ministère de la Formation et de l'Enseignement Professionnels (MFEP);
  • Higher education: the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique (MESRS).
  • Bologna process: Algeria has not signed the Bologna Declaration. However, the country did start implementing parts of the Bologna structure in 2004, such as the LMD system: Licence-Master-Doctorat, 3+2+3 years.
  • International treaties: Algeria participates in the Erasmusplus exchange programmes. The country also has its own scholarship programme, the Programme National Exceptionnel (PNE) of the MESRS. Via the PNE, student can get a scholarship for a doctorate’s programme (PhD) abroad.
  • Compulsory education: ages 6-15 years.
  • Language of instruction: Arabic for primary and secondary education. Higher education: French for medicine and technical study programmes, such as mathematics and IT, Arabic for other study programmes.
  • School exams: exams for the Brevet d’Enseignement Moyen (BEM) are in May. Exams for the Baccalauréat are in June.
  • School year: from September to early July.
  • Academic year: from September to early July.