Algeria recruits 5,000 new English language teachers for primary schools in shift from French

Algeria said Thursday that it has hired 5,000 English language teachers for its primary schools, as the country continues to step away from the use of French, associated with the old colonial overlords.

The new teachers, hired during a recruitment drive this summer, would receive training from next week to prepare them for the upcoming academic year, said Boualem Ben Laour, inspector-general for the Algerian education ministry.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in June ordered English to be taught at primary school level from the 2022-23 academic year, which begins on 21 September - a few weeks later than usual.

Regions of Algeria began their recruitment drives for English teachers at the beginning of last month.

There had been questions as to whether Algeria would be ready in time, but Ben Laaour said the education ministry was "ready" for the change.

Algeria, a former French colony, has been stepping away from the use of French at its institutions. Algeria's culture ministry said earlier this year that Arabic would replace French as its official language.

Neighbour country Morocco has also seen campaigns for French to be swapped in education for the more globally used English.

The shift has taken place amid a dip in Algeria-France relations, though these appear to have warmed somewhat after French President Emmanuel Macron visited Algeria last week.

"French is the spoils of war but English is the international language," Tebboune had said in a interview in July.

It remains unclear if the introduction of English at primary schools will have an affect on when French lessons take place.

Previously, English was only being taught from secondary school onwards.

Algeria has more than 19,000 primary schools.