Towards better German language skills

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in German Language teaching was signed on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Education and the Goethe Institute – the cultural centre for the Federal Republic of Germany – signed the document, which is the first step towards raising the standards of German language teaching in schools.

German language teachers will be appropriately qualified and undergo continuous professional development.

Minister of Education Tarek Shawki signed the MoU in the presence of German Ambassador to Egypt Frank Hartmann and Susanna Hoon, regional director of the Goethe Institute in the Middle East and North Africa.

Egyptian-German relations are important, particularly with regard to education, the minister said, adding that under the terms of the MoU, teachers will be trained in effective teaching methods and a German language curriculum will be developed.

The Goethe Institute has been working in Cairo and Alexandria for more than sixty years to strengthen co-operation between the two countries in culture and education, Hoon said.

Following the signing ceremony, Shawki had a meeting with the ambassador, who said he was pleased over co-operation between the institute and the ministry.

“Egypt is an important partner for Germany,” Ambassador Hartmann said, lauding the work of German schools in Egypt and the quality of education they provide.

The two officials also discussed other aspects of co-operation between the two countries, such as the German Development Bank’s (KFW) projects, which support the quality of education in several governorates.

They spoke about the establishment of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation National Authority (ETQAAN) and the creation of the Academy for Technical and Vocational Education Teachers (TVETA).

The talks also covered the conversion of German schools in Egypt into international schools.

A further topic was co-operation with the Goethe Institute in Cairo to translate science and mathematics tests into German and to ensure their accuracy and define the standards required for the tests.