British Council Egypt gathers school leaders to discuss innovation and emotional intelligence

The British Council Egypt recently hosted its 10th annual Principals’ Forum 2024, gathering over 400 school leaders from across its Partner Schools Network.

This year’s forum, held in Alexandria and Cairo, focused on equipping school leaders with strategies centred on self-evaluation, entrepreneurship, and emotional intelligence.

Through thought-provoking discussions and practical workshops, the event aimed to support schools in delivering high-quality education and fostering innovation.

Globally, British Council Partner Schools works with more than 2,600 schools, supports over 60,000 teachers and touches the lives of about one million students.

With attendees from schools across Egypt, this event helps to support the mission of the British Council in building connections, understanding and trust through education.

Themed “Empowering Schools: Self-Evaluation, Entrepreneurship, and Emotional Intelligence,” the forum featured a series of expert-led sessions and networking opportunities, offering attendees insights into improving school performance, developing entrepreneurial mindsets, and enhancing emotional intelligence among students and staff.

Opening the forum, Mark Howard, Director of the British Council Egypt, welcomed attendees alongside Iman Sabry, Assistant Minister of Education for Private and International Schools.

Both reaffirmed the strong collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the British Council, with a shared commitment to raising educational standards and preparing students for future challenges.

The event featured a range of insightful sessions, beginning with a presentation by Jane English, a UK Educational Consultant, who discussed practical approaches to school self-evaluation, offering tools to help school leaders assess performance and implement targeted improvements.

This was followed by Yasser Ali, Director of Business Development & Partnerships at the British Council Egypt, who outlined the British Council’s Quality Assurance Programme, emphasising the importance of maintaining high educational standards.

Later, Mohammad Issa, President of Creativity Lab for Empowerment and Innovation, led a session on fostering entrepreneurial mindsets, encouraging schools to nurture innovative thinking among students.

The day concluded with a workshop by Jane English on cultivating emotional intelligence, providing strategies to create supportive, emotionally intelligent learning environments for both students and staff.

Iman Sabry, Assistant Minister of Education for Private and International Schools, praised the British Council’s ongoing efforts, saying, “The Principals’ Forum offers a vital opportunity for educational leaders to come together and discuss how we can continue to improve education in Egypt.

The British Council plays an essential role in supporting our schools by offering access to global expertise and best practices.”

Mark Howard, Director of the British Council Egypt, added, “Our aim with the Principals’ Forum is to empower schools to continuously improve and innovate.

By focusing on self-evaluation, entrepreneurship, and emotional intelligence, we are helping schools to equip students with the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly complex world.”