Baba Ahmed: “Algerian state valued housing, health more than education”

Algerian national education minister, Abdellatif Baba Ahmed, has affirmed that the Algerian state has given for a long period of time more importance to the sectors of health and housing than education which has, as a result gone downhill, in terms of quality and quantity of the teaching staff, exam success rates and proper amenities in educational centers in various parts of the national territory.

In a statement on Sunday made to the National Radio, Mr Abdellatif Baba Ahmed bluntly declared that in Algeria, the number one priority was given to housing, to hospitals, and to universities but schools are not given particular attention as it should be, as he put it.

The education minister said to this effect that he’d issued guidelines and strict recommendations to all senior executives and the education personnel at all levels to make every effort to redress the balance and rejuvenate the flagging national education sector.

The adjustment of school syllabuses and lightening of pupils’ bags constitute the priorities of the school year 2013-2014, National Education Minister Abdelatif Baba Ahmed said.

“A decree was issued to lighten school bags and establish a timetable on pupils needs in one day,” Ahmed Baba told the National Radio.

He explained that this will be gradually extended to all schools across the country, within “one or two years.”

In so doing, classes will be equipped with lockers where pupils  can put their materials and textbooks, the minister affirmed.

As for syllabuses’ adjustment, Baba Ahmed said that the number of hours for each matter will be reviewed, instead of removing it material, as suggested by parents’ associations.

“There is a draft text on the National Syllabuses Council, which has more prerogatives to make the necessary changes to programs and hour volume,” he added.

According to the Minister, the National Syllabuses Council will be created in “two or three months.”

Mr Baba Ahmed said that among the main remedial measures to be taken by his ministerial department was designed to deal seriously with the lingering overcrowding issue in classrooms and to plan the construction of more education facilities in those areas of the country faced with this vexed problem.

He also evoked the lack of teachers of foreign languages in numerous schools saying that this problem was being addressed by the relevant department in conjunction with the various provincial education directors.

More than eight million pupils registered in the three cycles of education, joined on Sunday their schools nationwide for the 2013-2014 academic year.