France, Sept. 18 -- Algeria's 2026-27 school year kicks off next week with a change: a shift away from its usual focus on French as a second language.

Introduced in primary schools alongside French in 2022, from now on English will be the first foreign language children study.

Algerian education minister Mohamed Seghir Saadaoui announced in July that English classes would begin in the third year of primary school, when children are around 8. French lessons will follow a year later.

"In third year, only English will be taught," Saadaoui said. Colonial baggage

The reform is part of a broader shift towards English in Algeria, where French remains closely tied to the country's colonial history.

In a paper published earlier this year, Alg...