Khaberni - Algeria has officially declared the end of the school season for 2025-2026 on the upcoming May 15th, which has ignited a wide debate among the behind-the-scenes of the education sector in the country.
The Ministry of Education announced a change to the calendar of the third-term exams for the current school year, clarifying that the exams for all educational stages will be organized from Sunday, May 10 until May 14, 2026, while the makeup exams remain unchanged, taking place on June 22 and 23.
The decision created a wave of debate, especially among members of the education sector, as it extends the summer vacation from mid-May, when studies officially stop, until the end of September, exceeding 4 months.
This decision comes at a time when many educators criticize the frequent school breaks which, according to them, impact the students' academic achievement.
In this context, the education specialist Ammar Belhassen said: "I believe that the number of study hours in Algeria is far from the global average, as the standard followed reaches 40 weeks in the academic year, while in Algeria it does not exceed 27 weeks in the best cases."
Less than the average
He also added in statements to Alarabiya.net/Alhadath.net that "the Algerian student is now advancing through the school stages (elementary, middle, and high school) to university with about two and a half years less in terms of hours compared to the average."
He explained that "the long break from study is also detrimental to students, as there is a high likelihood that the student will lose a significant portion of the knowledge they have acquired." Belhassen called for "the ministry to review this decision, or at least organize a conference to study educational proposals regarding the supposed academic hours a student should study, involving specialists to come up with educational solutions that benefit the student."
Linked to several factors
Meanwhile, Nasser Jilali, a member of the Parents' Association, said that the judgment of this decision, and whether it is beneficial or rather harmful to the educational process, is linked to several factors." He elaborated, saying:" First, one must understand the study conditions in the last weeks, which are usually non-productive, where students and teachers often abscond, and the pace of academic achievement in educational institutions is slow."
He also pointed out that "the decision is also related to how much parents are involved in the educational process, as in many countries, where education is not administratively mandatory, parents prefer the option of homeschooling."
He concluded by saying: "Usually, we look for efficacy, not form, as the enrollment of our children in educational institutions should be fruitful for the educational and learning process, and for this reason, we focus in all our interventions on improving the pedagogical and educational levels."
