ALGIERS, September 23 (IslamOnline.net) – Some new amendments to the Algerian education system drew severe criticism from different sects of the society, seeing them as harming the national identity and aggravating already existent problems in the Algerian society.

A report of the Algerian education reform committee, formed by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, introduced amendments to the education system that include changing the name of the Islamic education subject and teaching French and English in the second and seventh grades respectively as well as teaching the subject of comparative religions in the secondary stage.

Former Algerian minister of education Ali Ben Mohamed lashed out at the decision to teach French in the second grade at a time Algerian schools suffer a shortage of French teachers.

“We support reforms in the education curricula and teachers training as long as they don't affect the national identity,” he told IslamOnline.net Wednesday, September 22.

“There are some groups in the country calling themselves the western-minded who only believe in reform when it touches on the national identity, especially the Arabic language and Islam,” he added.

Ben Mohamed, however, dismissed allegations by reform opponents that such reforms would block opening to other cultures.

“On the contrary, we call for opening up to other foreign languages as we have struggled for a long time to encourage learning foreign languages but the French language advocates want to confine the issue to (teaching) this language.”

He also stressed the need to preserve the Arab and Islamic national identity of the country.

“We refuse reforms that change the Arab and Islamic national identity of the country.”

The former Algerian minister, who is also the head of the national coordination committee for better education lashed out at the government decision to change the name of the Islamic education subject as well as teaching the subject of comparative religions in the secondary stage.

“Comparative religions has never been taught in any school in the world. It is only taught in faculties of Islamic Shari’ah where students can hold cultural and civilized discussions, but in the basic and secondary education, there must be more deep understanding of their religion.”

The national coordination committee for better education had earlier threatened to paralyze the education process in the Algerian schools.

“We had threatened to paralyze the education process if the education ministry applied such reforms.”

He said the education reforms are just formal procedures.

“The ministry did not apply the reforms. They only said they would teach French in the second grade.”

The Algerian education ministry, for its part, downplayed opposition to reforms in the education system, adding such opposition carried political considerations.

“The Algerian schools have to live up to uphill developments and the domestic and foreign challenges,” Algerian national education minister Boubekeur Benbouzid said.

“We have to work on making schools qualified for their job away from any political considerations or ideological and party influences,” he added.

He urged to go on with improving the education system and offering better education circumstances.