Minister of Education and Technical Education, Mohamed Abdel Latif, on Wednesday unveiled a national strategy for pre-university education aimed at significantly improving quality and addressing long-standing issues like student overcrowding and teacher shortages.
Speaking at a symposium co-organised by the Canada-Egypt Business Council (CEBE) and the Egyptian Business Council for International Co-operation (ECIC), Abdel Latif acknowledged the substantial hurdles facing the country’s educational system. However, he highlighted the ministry’s progress in overcoming four “chronic challenges” during the current academic year.
One major historical problem, according to Abdel Latif, has been low student attendance, which in past years rarely exceeded nine per cent, largely due to severely overcrowded classrooms.
To tackle this, the ministry has launched an “ambitious plan.” This initiative includes optimizing existing school spaces, extending class periods, and introducing mobile classrooms to ease density and encourage more students to attend.
Abdel Latif has said Egypt is aggressively expanding its educational infrastructure, with an ambitious target of constructing 10,000 to 15,000 new classrooms annually. This significant build-out is part of a broader national strategy outlined by Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif to revolutionise pre-university education.
Abdel Latif revealed that while the country had 380,000 classrooms last year, the ministry’s innovative solutions alone added an impressive 98,000 classrooms this academic year. This rapid expansion has reportedly brought the average class density down to below 50 students, contributing to a remarkable 99.9% educational success rate nationwide.
Addressing the persistent challenge of teacher shortages, the minister detailed a multi-pronged approach. This includes prioritizing existing school teachers to fill gaps through increased paid classes, re-engaging retired teachers, and hiring hourly teachers who possess the necessary educational qualifications. Furthermore, a recent amendment to the timetable has optimized school schedules, providing a 33% boost to the teaching force. These efforts are bolstered by an ongoing presidential initiative to recruit 30,000 teachers annually.
To further motivate educators, Abdel Latif emphasised the ministry’s commitment to improving teacher conditions through enhanced financial incentives, increased hourly wages, and the activation of the Social Welfare Fund.
Egyptian Baccalaureate
A significant focus of the new strategy is the restructuring of secondary education. Abdel Latif explained that the previous system, burdened by 32 subjects over three years, was unsustainable. The new framework dramatically reduces the number of subjects to six or eight, while concurrently increasing teaching hours per subject to approximately 100 annually, bringing Egypt in line with global educational standards.
The minister also provided insights into the innovative “Egyptian Baccalaureate” project. This initiative promises a flexible curriculum, specialised educational tracks, and multiple assessment opportunities, moving away from the current system’s sole, high-stakes determinant exam.
He noted strong public backing for the new system, with a high percentage of parents of third-year middle school students expressing support in a recent survey.
