The Ministry of National Education announced the freezing of middle school reforms days before the 2027/2026 academic year was scheduled to commence on Monday, September 21st. This significant development occurred just days prior to the planned start of classes. The decision means a return to the old pedagogical arrangements without any modification, change, or deletion, according to the ministry. The announcement effectively froze the pedagogical arrangements that established new timings and coefficients for middle school subjects, which had been outlined in Decision No. 19 dated July 28, 2026. These arrangements, which were poised to reshape the educational landscape, are now on hold.
Reverting to Old Arrangements
The upcoming academic year will begin with the previously established timings and subject coefficients, reverting to the system in place during the 2025-2026 academic year. This decision by the Ministry of National Education was formalized through Ministerial Circular No. 469, issued on September 17, 2026. Prior to the circular, the Ministry released an official explanatory statement detailing the change. The new directives were based on decisions made during the Council of Ministers meeting held on September 6th. Consequently, the Ministry’s new decision necessitates the preparation of updated pedagogical arrangements before students return to school. This ensures continuity with prior academic structures for the immediate future and aims to mitigate disruption by reinstating familiar educational frameworks.
Impact on Subject Hours
The return to previous arrangements necessitates the redistribution and transfer of French language teachers due to a surplus, according to official claims. The new decision reinstated 3.5 hours per week for French language across all four middle school educational levels. This reverses a prior decision that had reduced French language instruction to 2 hours per week, while maintaining the same coefficient. For English language, the cancelled recent modifications would have required opening new recruitment positions and redistributing teaching hours. These prior modifications had aimed to expand the teaching capacity for English, a plan now put on hold.
Under the reinstated system, 3.5 study hours per week are allocated for English language for each of the four middle school levels. Islamic Education will also receive 1 study hour per week for each of the four educational levels. Notably, the establishment of a specialized teacher position for Islamic Education, outlined in Ministerial Decision No. 19 of July 28, 2026, has been implemented and remains in effect, not being subject to cancellation. However, the new curriculum for English language for the second middle school grade, distributed to schools as a 'didactic guide,' faces an uncertain future. The decision to implement this new English curriculum remains unclear following the recent Council of Ministers decision, casting doubt on its immediate adoption.
Challenges for Educators
The new situation requires an immediate review of educational and administrative maps, alongside the creation of new timetables. Middle school principals have begun preparing modified timetables on a temporary basis to accommodate the changes. They proposed 3.5 study hours per week for French language instruction for students in the first, second, and third middle school grades. Additionally, 4.5 study hours per week were allocated for French language for fourth-grade middle school classes. A pedagogical processing session for the English curriculum had been scheduled to take place on September 27th, but its status is now uncertain. The reversal of Decision No. 19 and the return to previous timings present principals and inspectors with the significant challenge of re-creating full timetables in a record time, just days before the academic year is set to begin. This abrupt change demands immediate and efficient action from school administrators.