ObservatoryICT

Algeria

Overview

Algeria is encouraging and fostering the use of ICT to enhance the development process in general and the development of the educational system in particular, paving the road for an ICT policy framework along with an implementation strategy. The government has placed weight on the development of ICT-related human resources. Algeria has formed a committee in charge of defining the elements of a national information society strategy. It is anticipated that the committee will work on creating synergies among the different sectors in the area of infrastructure, training, and research as well as information systems and ICTs. The committee will identify a national ICT working group, which will be charged with formulating short-, medium-, and long-term action plans for ICT.

Algeria has placed considerable emphasis on the importance of developing a national ICT strategy for education and training. The Ministry of Education has taken steps to support the implementation of the strategy either by direct action or through the various institutions and agencies that partner with the ministry, such as UNESCO, the EU, and different UN agencies. Approximately USD$130 million was allocated for the creation of a technology park at Sidi Abdallah, 30 kilometers from Algiers. The park (or IT City) is foreseen to facilitate Algeria's entry into the information society, and a number of ICT initiatives have been designed.

Country Profile

Algeria is a gateway between Africa and Europe. It is sometimes called the 'land of the million martyrs', as over a million Algerians were killed in the fight against France for independence, which it eventually achieved in 1962. Algeria has also faced internal unrest and instability caused by Islamic militants. The government is currently pursuing a variety of development programs to better participate in the increasingly global knowledge economy. The fruits of Tunisia's educational reform process are reflected in growing numbers of children attending school. As is the case in many developing countries, Algeria is experiencing a continuing population shift from rural to urban.

Education System

The Arabian Campus Web site describes the Algeria education system as follows:

Primary education is mandatory and lasts for nine years (École fondamentale). Secondary education is compulsory and consists of a three-year cycle of study provided in secondary schools and technicums. There are three branches of secondary education: general, specialized, and technical/vocational. Students in general secondary and specialized secondary education study for three years and sit for the Baccalauréat examination. Successful students are awarded the Baccalauréat de l'Enseignement secondaire in one of the various streams offered. The Baccalauréat gives access to higher education but some institutions require it to be of a certain type (science, arts, etc.). The objective of technical and vocational secondary education is to prepare students for active life and industry (technicians and qualified workers). Studies last between one and four years, according to the type of training undertaken and can also lead to higher education.

Higher education is provided by universities, specialized institutes, national institutes of higher education, and teacher training institutes, which fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as by institutes run by other ministries. The field of study, not the institution, determines the specific degrees awarded. The Ministry of Higher Education approves the curriculum, which is standardized for each field of study. Algerian institutions also award graduate degrees (Diplômes de Postgraduation) in most fields in which a Licence or DES is awarded.

Infrastructure

The level of ICT integration is still ongoing and at an early stage. The program aiming at providing access to ICT through the Computer for Every Home Initiative was launched in 2003. Some forms of media, such as radio and television, have achieved high penetration rates. Mobile phones are commonplace and the number of Internet users is increasing rapidly due to the number of Internet cafés, shops, and access centers that are available - particularly in urban areas.

In 2000 a regulatory law was passed where the old public institution in charge of national telecom was split into two commercial organizations and two operators emerged: Algeria

Poste and Algeria Telecom. The law also created an independent regulatory authority of posts and telecommunication. Currently there are three operators:

· Algerie Telecom (mobile and fixed lines)

· Orascom (Djzzy and Lacom for fixed lines)

· Alwatanya (Nedjma and Internet access with mobile phones)

To facilitate the entry of Algeria into the information society, the following national ICT initiatives have been designed: 7

· The project of the Ministry of Education to equip all schools with computers by 2005

· The distance education project

· The virtual university project

· The research network to be put in place by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific research

· The health network developed and maintained by the National Health Development Agency (ANDS)

· The Djaweb Internet platform

ICTs in education

The government is committed to set forth a policy for the integration of ICT within the educational system. The reform of the educational process and inclusion of ICT with a set structure was formally included in the country's formal ICT policy in June 2002 with an allocation of three billion dinar.

The Ministry of Education is working on building the infrastructure for enabling the ICT environment. All secondary schools were equipped with computer labs (15 computers: 10 for students, five for teachers) connected to the Internet through ADSL, and 30% of this foundation had Internet access via cable modem. Half of the middle schools have adopted ICT as an integral part of the educational program.

In the case of the primary schools, the ICT policy remains limited to the administrative process and teacher training. The existence of computer labs at primary schools remains subject to local contributions and donations by parents and community members. All universities have computer labs and Internet access for faculty, students, and administration in addition to the availability of digital libraries. Each university has its own ICT policy to accelerate the educational process and offer better learning opportunities in virtual universities and with distance and open learning. Within the framework of enhancing the level of ICT penetration and usage in education, the government has signed a number of agreements with international organizations. For example, UNESCO is undertaking a number of initiatives for the proper integration of ICT in the Algerian education system, and the Japanese government has provided funding for teacher-training programs totaling to USD$750,000. There are a number of initiatives that have been adopted in an attempt to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The related strategies, under the heading of e- learning, were set forth to:

· Promote the development of e-learning resources

· Facilitate public-private partnerships to mobilize resources in order to support elearning initiatives

· Promote the development of integrated e-learning curriculum to support ICT in education

· Promote distance education and virtual institutions, particularly in higher education and training

· Promote the establishment of a national ICT centre of excellence

· Provide affordable infrastructure to facilitate dissemination of knowledge and skill through e-learning platforms

· Promote the development of e-learning resources

· Facilitate public-private partnerships to mobilize resources in order to support elearning initiatives

· Promote the development of integrated e-learning curriculum to support ICT in education

· Promote distance education and virtual institutions, particularly in higher education and training

· Promote the establishment of a national ICT centre of excellence

· Provide affordable infrastructure to facilitate dissemination of knowledge and skill through e-learning platforms

· Promote the development of content to address the educational needs of primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions

· Create awareness of the opportunities offered by ICT as an educational tool to the education sector

· Facilitate sharing of e-learning resources between institutions

· Integrate e-learning resources with other existing resources

Curriculum and textbooks:

In Algeria all education institutions deliver the same ICT curriculum as designed by the Ministry of Education. However the plan is to integrate ICT within the different subject matters to enhance learning and education. It therefore becomes a process of learning through the use of ICT rather then learning about the technology.

Training professionals on teaching and usage of ICT:

In Algeria the program of ICT training for teachers has been limited to basic information, with most receiving 30-60 hours of training. Although 100% of secondary teachers and 60% of middle school teachers received the basic ICT training, this has to date very little impact on the quality or method of delivery of education in the classroom. Major training components:

· Basic ICT training: basic operations, Windows-based software, e-mail, and Internet

· Intermediate training: classroom applications, Internet for teaching, and e-mail as a medium for communication and collaboration

· Advanced training: development and creation of educational software, on-line classes, telecommunication, e-mailing, development of interactive Web sites, production of multimedia presentations, producing creative work

Current ICT Initiatives and Projects

Project: Technopole of Sidi Abdallah Comprises three major technology parks and an industrial park with the aim of providing the space for technology firms and fostering the growth in ICT sector while encouraging local, international, private, and public investment in the field of ICT.

Project: Net Enterprise Supports the new ICT companies and ensure their growth and sustainability.

Project: Technobridge Incubator Supports research and development in the field of ICT, supports ICT start ups, provides institutional support and development to existing businesses with clear coherent operational and growth visions, and provides support to Institut National des Telecommunications (INT) and the École Centrale de Postes et Telecommunications for renewing curricula on ICT management and cyber entrepreneurship.