Algerian group: New education system violates people’s principles

Reforms in Algeria’s education system violate people’s principles, the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP) said yesterday.

“The MSP calls for the immediate withdrawal of second generation reforms due to violations that contradict people’s principles,” a statement reported by the Anadolu Agency said, noting that experts had come to these findings.

“The people’s principles are redlines. Therefore, we call on all powers to form a united front against the attempts to Westernise education and threaten national principles.”

The party called for the creation of a commission to oversee the reforms which it says include the use of French instead of Arabic in scientific materials as well as a reduction of Islamic education.

Officials in the ministry of education have rejected the accusation that the forms touch on the country’s Arabic and Islamic identities.

Algeria recently withdrew geographic books because they labelled Palestine as Israel, placing the blame on the publisher.