Education in Algeria

Education in Algeria is free and compulsory for Algerians from the ages of 6 to 16, However, only half of Algerian students are enrolled in secondary schools. As of 2015, Algeria has 92 post-secondary institutions, which includes 48 universities.

History
During the colonization of Algeria, Napoleon III reestablished the usage of madrasa schools and created primary schools that were both Arabic and French.

Languages
Students are primarily taught in Arabic, although teachers have been allowed to teach in Berber as of 2003. Berber teaching is allowed in Algerian schools to remove the complaints of Arabization and need for non-Algerian teachers. Due to Algeria's French colonial past, French was the first foreign language taught in Algerian schools. In 2004, language restrictions were enforced that made 90% of all teaching in Algerian schools in Arabic.

Literacy
As of 2015, Algeria's literacy rate is estimated to be around 80%, higher than the literacy rates of Morocco and Egypt but lower than Libya's literacy rate. Of the 2015 literacy rate, 87% of Algerian males are literate, compared to 73% of Algerian females.

Funding and Employment
Education makes up 15% of Algeria's national budget. Algeria has one of the largest shortages of teachers in Northern Africa, with 200,000 primary teachers needed to help reach the United Nations's Sustainable Development Goal for education.

Education by numbers