Editing Algeria (section)

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Algeria|List of universities in Algeria}}
[[File:UIS Literacy Rate Algeria population plus15 1980 2015.png|thumb|[[UNESCO Institute for Statistics|UIS]] literacy rate Algeria population plus 15 1985–2015]]
Since the 1970s, in a centralised system that was designed to significantly reduce the rate of illiteracy, the Algerian government introduced a decree by which school attendance became compulsory for all children aged between 6 and 15 years who have the ability to track their learning through the 20 facilities built since independence, now the literacy rate is around 92.6%.<ref name="APSLIT">{{cite web | title=Le taux d'analphabétisme en Algérie réduit à 7,94% en 2021 | website=Algérie presse service | date=8 September 2021 | url=https://www.aps.dz/societe/127134-le-taux-d-analphabetisme-en-algerie-reduit-a-7-94-en-2021 | language=fr | access-date=12 September 2021 | archive-date=12 September 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912230519/https://www.aps.dz/societe/127134-le-taux-d-analphabetisme-en-algerie-reduit-a-7-94-en-2021 | url-status=live }}</ref> Since 1972, Arabic is used as the language of instruction during the first nine years of schooling. From the third year, French is taught and it is also the language of instruction for science classes. The students can also learn English, Italian, Spanish and German. In 2008, new programmes at the elementary appeared, therefore the compulsory schooling does not start at the age of six anymore, but at the age of five.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.presse-dz.com/revue-de-presse/version-imprimable/1045-les-verites-de-benbouzid.html |title=Ecoles privées, Tamazight, enseignement du Français, syndicats&nbsp;... – Les vérités de Benbouzid |publisher=Presse-dz.com |access-date=18 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115130310/http://www.presse-dz.com/revue-de-presse/version-imprimable/1045-les-verites-de-benbouzid.html |archive-date=15 November 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Apart from the 122 private schools, the Universities of the State are free of charge. After nine years of primary school, students can go to a high school or to an educational institution. The school offers two programmes: general or technical. At the end of the third year of secondary school, students pass the exam of the baccalaureate, which allows once it is successful to pursue graduate studies in universities and institutes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.algerie-dz.com/article10808.html |title=Le taux d'analphabétisme en Algérie est de 21,3% |publisher=Algerie-dz.com |access-date=18 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021070732/http://www.algerie-dz.com/article10808.html |archive-date=21 October 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Wikipedia Education Program Algeria V2 Ceremony (96).jpg|thumb|Students at the [[University of Chlef]] in Algeria]]
Education is officially compulsory for children between the ages of six and 15. In 2008, the illiteracy rate for people over 10 was 22.3%, 15.6% for men and 29.0% for women. The province with the lowest rate of illiteracy was [[Algiers Province]] at 11.6%, while the province with the highest rate was [[Djelfa Province]] at 35.5%.<ref name="illit">{{cite web|title=Taux d'Analphabétisme et taux d'Alphabétisation de la population âgée de 10 ans et plus selon le sexe et la wilaya de résidence|url=http://www.ons.dz/IMG/pdf/pop9_national.pdf|publisher=Office National des Statistiques|access-date=7 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204094417/http://www.ons.dz/IMG/pdf/pop9_national.pdf|archive-date=4 February 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Algeria has 26 universities and 67 institutions of higher education, which must accommodate a million Algerians and 80,000 foreign students in 2008. The [[University of Algiers]], founded in 1879, is the oldest, it offers education in various disciplines (law, medicine, science and letters). Twenty-five of these universities and almost all of the institutions of higher education were founded after the independence of the country.

Even if some of them offer instruction in [[Arabic]] like areas of law and the economy, most of the other sectors such as science and medicine continue to be provided in French and English. Among the most important universities, there are the [[University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene]], the [[University of Mentouri]] Constantine, and [[University of Oran]] Es-Senia. The [[University of Abou Bekr Belkaïd]] in Tlemcen and [[University of Batna]] Hadj Lakhdar occupy the 26th and 45th row in Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webometrics.info/en/Africa/Algeria |title=Algeria &#124; Ranking Web of Universities |publisher=Webometrics.info |access-date=18 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208084507/http://webometrics.info/en/Africa/Algeria |archive-date=8 February 2014 }}</ref> Algeria was ranked 115th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2024.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/|title=Global Innovation Index 2024. Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship|access-date=2024-10-22|author=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]]|year=2024|isbn=978-92-805-3681-2|doi= 10.34667/tind.50062|website=www.wipo.int|location=Geneva|page=18}}</ref>