Summary

The present report consists of the analysis and conclusions of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education following an official mission that he undertook to Algeria, at the invitation of the Algerian Government, from 27 January to 3 February 2015.

The realization of the right to education in Algeria has been remarkable in many respects. The Government’s educational policies and programmes have yielded positive results: school enrolment rates are excellent, education is provided free of charge at all levels and gender parity at all levels has been largely achieved. Algeria accordingly has a very high rate of attainment of the Education for All goals and the Millennium Development Goals, particularly goal two on universal primary educa tion and goal three on gender parity in access to education. Furthermore, the infrastructure for providing education is well in place.

Considerable budgetary resources are allocated to education in Algeria: it was second only to national defence among national budgetary priorities, with 16 per cent of the national budget, in 2014.

In 2003, reforms were undertaken with the aim of improving the quality of education by overhauling teaching methods, improving the quality of teaching staff and restructuring the school curriculum.

However, Algeria faces a number of challenges with respect to the realization of the right to education. The main challenge the country faces is the quality of education. The general standard of education needs to be raised as a ma tter of urgency.

In addition, the educational system is faced with high rates of school dropout and grade repetition and classroom overcrowding. Enrolment rates are sometimes lower in certain regions, in rural areas and in the poorest households. Ensuring equal opportunities in access to education for children with disabilities is still a challenge for the Government. It is also confronted with a perceptible decline in the teaching of Tamazight.

Moreover, Algeria lacks the legal framework to guarantee that a minimum proportion of the national budget is allocated to education. Lastly, the challenge of strengthening and enhancing the social and cultural value of vocational education and training is particularly acute.

At the end of the present report, the Special Rapporteur makes recommendations designed to improve the realization of the right to education in Algeria.