National Education Minister Mohamed Seghir Saadaoui said Algeria is counting on its schools, teachers and educators to shape generations who believe in their country, gain scientific and technical knowledge in their fields, and take pride in their identity. In a message for World Teachers’ Day, he stressed that improving Algerian schools is a shared responsibility involving the education community, families and society.
The minister said the occasion honours educators for their humanitarian and educational mission and recognizes their central role in shaping individuals, society and the nation. He described the Algerian school as a key institution for developing character, safeguarding society’s foundations and passing on its values. Education, he noted, has throughout Algeria’s history been associated with liberation, protecting identity and raising awareness. After independence, teachers continued to contribute to preparing the citizens of the future.
Saadaoui said the effort to build a modern school encompasses its programmes, curricula, facilities and environment. The school being pursued should do more than transmit knowledge: it should teach pupils to think and create, take responsibility and respect differences, while putting learning to the service of people and the country. As digital transformation accelerates with artificial intelligence and ways of acquiring knowledge change, educators have an increasingly important role in teaching pupils how to make positive use of digital opportunities.
The ministry intends to continue working toward quality education and equal opportunities to learn and succeed. This includes investing in pupils’ talents and abilities and giving them access to innovation, scientific competition, and cultural, sporting, health and environmental activities. Schools must also prepare young people to engage with the world’s cultures and languages without losing their national and moral bearings.
The minister said a teacher’s influence cannot be measured only by what a pupil writes in an examination. Students may forget details of lessons, but remember the teacher who believed in them and encouraged them when they struggled. A pupil today may become a doctor, engineer, writer, lawyer, researcher, pilot, teacher or responsible public figure serving the country—sometimes in a role the teacher did not anticipate. An educator’s impact remains in a pupil’s mind, feelings and character.
Saadaoui urged pupils to work hard and respect their teachers. School, he said, is not merely a place to obtain a certificate; it is also where they learn to build their character and shape their future. He called on parents to strengthen trust and cooperation with schools, describing families and schools as partners in raising children. Pupils, he said, are the first to benefit when that cooperation grows.
Addressing the education community, he encouraged its members to continue teaching and nurturing young people and to keep hope alive. Behind every pupil is a story, every schoolgirl has a dream, and every classroom holds a future waiting to be built. The school Algeria seeks, he said, honours the teacher, respects the pupil and upholds learning; it treats discipline as a value, success as the result of work and difference as a source of learning, while keeping the country present in everyone’s hearts.
The minister reaffirmed that education would remain central to building Algeria. Schools should be places of learning, values and citizenship that keep pace with their time, preserve the country’s foundations and open future opportunities to all. He paid tribute to teachers, school directors, education professionals, administrative staff and workers who help schools carry out their mission. He gave particular recognition to those working out of the public eye in remote areas and in schools requiring extra effort and patience. He also remembered earlier generations of educators who left their mark on the country and helped shape its people.
Saadaoui concluded by thanking teachers and educators for believing in young people’s abilities and continuing their work. He expressed the hope that the education community would maintain its commitment and solidarity, and that the national school system would move steadily toward a future worthy of Algeria’s children and the country.