Egypt’s education minister advocates new decisions in meetings with French ambassador, British Council director

CAIRO – 1 September 2024: Minister of Education Mohamed Abdel Latif held meetings on Saturday with Éric Chevallier, France’s Ambassador to Egypt, and Mark Howard, Country Director of the British Council and Cultural Attaché in Cairo, where he championed recent substantial decisions undertaken by the ministry.

During his dialogue with Howard, Abdel Latif underscored a Friday directive stipulating that all schools in Egypt offering international high school certificates must incorporate the teaching of Arabic and history as essential components contributing to students' overall grades.

Abdel Latif emphasized to Howard that this new mandate is designed to uphold national identity and culture, fostering students' sense of belonging by reinforcing the teaching of Arabic and history.

The minister affirmed that this decision aligns with global practices, where world countries prioritize the teaching of their native language and history in their educational frameworks.

In response, Howard expressed the British Council’s willingness to collaborate with the ministry in elucidating the new policy to international schools and ensuring the successful implementation of the ministry’s initiatives.

 

Close look at new decisions

According to the new guidelines, students pursuing an American diploma and those enrolled in schools offering international high school certificates will have Arabic and history accounting for 20 percent of their total grades alongside their performance in other subjects.

For American Diploma students, 40 percent of their grades will be based on their GPA, another 40 percent on final international and American exams, with the remaining 20 percent allocated for Arabic and history under the new regulations.

International high school students will have Arabic and history each contributing 10 percent to their grades, with assessments in these subjects conducted through general exams organized by the ministry.

Moreover, the minister announced that students in international school systems will study Arabic, history, and religion from Grade 10 until their final grades, aligning with the national high school system (Thanaweya Amma).

These schools are also mandated to teach Arabic to kindergarten students, and Arabic and religion to students from Grade 1 to Grade 3 or their equivalents.

From Grade 4 to Grade 9, students will study social studies alongside Arabic and religion. The directives specify that students' scores in each of these grades will include 20 percent for both Arabic and social studies.

French ambassador meeting

In his meeting with the French ambassador, the minister also advocated for the recent decisions aiming to restructure national secondary education, stating that this process adheres to international standards, is grounded in scientific principles, and is overseen by experts.

He highlighted that these decisions ensure curriculum coherence without compromising educational content, while also enhancing students’ skills.

Abdel Latif added that the new regulations support teachers with an improved education process, allowing more time for core subjects and ensuring ample time to cover the curriculum within the designated timeframe.

Additionally, the minister mentioned a recent decision to classify the second foreign language taught to secondary phase students, primarily French or German, as a pass-fail subject rather than a core subject as previously designated.

He assured Ambassador Chevallier that most countries worldwide teach only one foreign language in addition to their native language.

Abdel Latif referenced additional decisions that extended the school year to 31 weeks from 23 and increased class duration by five minutes, asserting that these measures would enhance teaching capacity by 33 percent.

Teaching French

Furthermore, the minister emphasized the importance of effectively teaching French in schools where French is the primary language, with the aid of French expertise in curriculum development and educational oversight.

Abdel Latif reiterated the ministry’s commitment to expanding the model of schools where French is the primary language.