Algeria to ease primary school program

In a nod to demands from pupils and parents, the Algerian education ministry decided to slim down the school curriculum.

By Hayam El Hadi for Magharebia in Algiers – 20/05/11

Algerian parents used to complain that their children are overwhelmed with schoolwork. With the start of a new school year, students will enjoy reduced lesson timetables, the education ministry announced last week.

Primary school days will now be split into two sessions. The morning session will run from 8 to 11am, with the afternoon session shortened to 1-2:30pm. The weekly timetable will range from 24 to 25 hours compared with the current 30 hours.

"The slimmed-down timetable does not mean we are affecting the main subjects taught to children," Education Minister Aboubakeur Benbouzid said May 12th. "The ad hoc committee is conducting a far-reaching study of the issue, because what is at stake here is our children's future and the credibility of the education system in Algeria."

The committee in charge of drafting the new curriculum included education directors from wilayas, ministry officials, the director of the national office for examinations and entry competitions and representatives of trade unions.

Though the news received a warm response from parents and teachers, some parents have been left wondering what to do with their children during this free time.

Education ministry adviser Ahmed Tessa reassured them, saying that pupils will remain on the school site 2:30-3:30pm, where they will be offered a range of cultural and sporting activities.

"Since my daughter started school, I've felt that she's been pushed too hard," Mahdia Terra, a 37-year-old mother, told Magharebia. "The syllabus is overloaded. There's no room for play; the children's time is completely taken up with learning and they don't have a moment to breathe."

"At the end of the day, they're so tired that they can barely get through their homework," added Terra, who has an eight-year-old daughter. "They don't have the time to get involved in out-of-school activities. With this reduction in workload, they'll have time for a breather, and so shall we."

Primary school teacher Mohamed Dali shared the parents' enthusiasm. "Children are bombarded with information and have no room for leisure," he said. "They are put under pressure in spite of their age. For a long time now, we've been calling for play activities to be introduced into schools."

"A school should not be seen as a place for educational input alone," he added. "It's a school for life, and children must be introduced to other experiences there, which can only help them with their learning. We hope we'll find that children are a little less stressed and better disposed to learn."

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/05/20/feature-04.