Rehabilitation operations across educational facilities damaged by recent wildfires must reach completion and undergo official handover before September 10. This directive formed a central instruction issued Friday by the Minister of National Education, Mohamed Seghir Saâdaoui, during a national conference with education directors dedicated to final preparations for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Priority is thus granted to affected provinces, notably Jijel and Béjaïa, where 29 academic institutions suffered wildfire damage—including 23 in Jijel and 6 in Béjaïa. The minister mandated daily, rigorous monitoring of their status and urged accelerated restoration efforts in tandem with Housing Ministry services to ensure operational readiness within designated timelines.
Chairing this session via videoconference from department headquarters in El Mouradia, the minister also emphasized delivering comprehensive support for students and personnel impacted by the blazes. A precise census detailing affected pupils and their grade levels must be established to guarantee uninterrupted schooling and tailored assistance upon return.
The plight of displaced families temporarily sheltered inside certain school facilities was likewise addressed. The minister instructed education directorates, working alongside local authorities, to extend dignified support and essential services to these residents.
Within this framework, he stressed the urgency of securing alternative housing solutions swiftly so affected facilities can reclaim their educational purpose and welcome students back for the new term.
Specialized tracking will also cover hospitalized pupils. Precise nominal rosters will be compiled to identify students receiving care in hospital centers across Jijel and other provinces, ensuring continuous monitoring and tailored support.
Another critical issue days ahead of the term involves educational textbooks. According to metrics presented during the meeting, over 80 million textbooks have been mobilized nationwide, including 30 million designated for free distribution and upwards of 26 million allocated for commercial sale.
The supply network encompasses 38 retail outlets managed by the National Office for School Publications, 1,641 accredited bookstores, and 7,774 academic institutions designated as sales points.
The minister urged officials to guarantee ample textbook availability and expand retail accessibility for citizens, placing specialized focus on materials adapted for students with special needs, particularly visually impaired learners.
Additionally, the minister requested expedited processing regarding the latest merit-based teacher recruitment drive, whose outcomes were recently publicized. The goal remains finalizing appointment and placement procedures for successful candidates rapidly.
Furthermore, he requested prompt opening of transfer exchange windows for applicants who did not secure their primary location choices during reassignments, while insisting on strict adherence to civil service regulations and activation of waitlisted candidates.
The 2026-2027 school year will also feature the implementation of a standardized internal code of conduct across every academic institution nationwide.
Its application aims to structure campus life and delineate rules governing students, teachers, staff, and parents alike. The framework seeks primarily to reinforce discipline and preserve a scholastic environment conducive to learning.
In anticipation of the return, a national campus cleanup initiative will run from September 6 through September 17. The minister called for broad mobilization across the educational community and tight coordination with local municipalities to offer students a clean, safe setting.
School health similarly ranks among top priorities. The “School Health Week” program will launch at the start of the academic year to boost preventive actions in facilities. Furthermore, distribution of health supplies to students will expand across several provinces in coordination with the Ministry of Pharmaceutical Industry and corporate partners.
Moreover, the minister requested catching up on backlogs recorded within the 2024 and 2025 school infrastructure agendas while accelerating execution of the 2026 program.
With the start of classes days away, the Ministry of National Education is relying on heightened field supervision and full mobilization across its operational arms to ensure an on-time return to classrooms, maintaining dedicated focus on facilities impacted by the fires.