The upgrade of basic and higher education has been a top priority since President Abdel Fattah El Sisi assumed power in mid-2014.
The priority given to this upgrade stems out of strong belief in the importance of education for nation-building.
Education, no doubt, determines the quality of people’s lives, improves knowledge and skills, and develops personality and attitudes.
More importantly, it helps create more jobs, improves the economy, and offers a prosperous life for those who take it seriously.
Most recently, President Sisi made a long-awaited decision that offered a strong boost to education, as part of the renaissance Egypt is witnessing in all fields.
The president ordered the Ministry of Education, which regulates the basic education system, to hire 150,000 new teachers over the next five years.
This is a move that will cost the state budget LE1 billion (roughly $64.5 million) annually.
The president also ordered LE3.1 billion (around $193 million) in an additional financial incentive for the teachers as well as 1.5 billion pounds (about $93 million) in another financial incentive, known as the quality incentive, for the teaching staff of colleges, higher education institutes and research centres.
Sisi’s decisions are historical by all measures. They came at an opportune time, while the president’s intervention was more than required.
The nation’s schools suffer a severe shortage of teachers, ranging between 200,000 and 300,000 teachers in all educational stages.
Minister of Education, Tarek Shawky, sought to fill this enormous gap in September of last year by trying to enlist the help of volunteers or part time teachers.
He said he would pay these volunteers or part timers 20 pounds ($1.27) per class.
Nevertheless, this proved far from practical or viable. Some people, in fact, scoffed at the minister’s suggestion.
By making the latest decisions, the president probably wanted to assure Egyptians that their government is resolved to fulfill their aspirations for a better future for their kids and the entire nation and that it will spare no effort or financial backing to do this.
Sisi underscored the importance of turning the national educational system into a tool for building the character of the next generation of Egyptians.
Calls were made over the years to find an effective remedy for the shortage of teachers in various educational stages. This shortage persisted for long.
Some people also called for improving the financial conditions of the schoolteachers, being the backbone of the educational system.
There will be no real development in our country without improving the quality of our education. Improving this quality cannot be done in the absence of qualified teachers.
Some people may argue that the government has lagged behind as far as the upgrade of education and the improvement of the financial conditions of the teachers are concerned.
The fact, however, is that Sisi’s administration tries seriously to make up for the time lost in this regard. It started taking serious steps to resolve a national dilemma.
Some of our classrooms have a density of up to 100 pupils. To reduce this density, the government constructed 71,833 classrooms in the different governorates in the past period.
These classrooms were part of 4,713 schools that have been constructed since 2014.
Sisi’s administration makes relentless efforts and launches unending initiatives to promote education. They are part of the overall development process that is being launched in our country revolutionise Egyptians’ lives and establish the New Republic.
All these efforts are paying off.
A recent report by the Cabinet’s Media Centre showed that Egypt has jumped 11 places in pre-university education in the Global Knowledge Index.
Egypt, the report said, ranked 72nd in the 2021 index, from 83rd in the previous year.
Egypt also moved up three positions in US News Education, a ranking of the best 1,400 colleges and universities, coming in position no. 39 in 2021, compared to position no. 42 in 2020.
It also moved up 12 places in technical education and vocational training in the Global Knowledge Index.
Egypt came 68th in the 2021 index, compared to 80th in 2020.
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