Egyptian minister reveals number of classrooms to be built starting July to reduce crowdedness

CAIRO – 9 May 2022: Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Said stated Monday that the government targets to build 25,000 classrooms in FY2022/2023 in order to reduce crowdedness.

Addressing the House of Representatives, the minister noted that the value of allocations to educational buildings in the draft budget is LE15 billion and that is 15 percent higher than those of FY2021/2022.

Minister Said added that the budget of healthcare services stand at LE45.9 billion to be directed at the construction and development of 94 hospitals and 480 healthcare units. That is in addition to introducing 1,500 beds at intensive care units nationwide, prioritizing the governorates of Qena, Beheira, Suez, and Giza.

As for the projects, whose construction or renovation to get completed in the coming fiscal year, they include 29 public hospitals, seven university hospitals, and 52 integration hospitals (mini hospitals in rural areas).

Tens of schools have been built in Upper Egyptian governorates within Decent Life initiative, as announced by officials in April.

Governor of Asyut Essam Saad stated that Decent Life initiative is implementing 88 schools, consisting of a total of 1,228 classrooms, planned for low-income villages in the governorate with a budget of LE430.2 million.

The governor noted that 87 of those, comprising a total of 1,219 classrooms, have been delivered since July 2020 with a cost of LE426,6 million. Saad clarified that once the remaining school, encompassing nine classrooms, is finished, all of those establishments will be officially inaugurated to enter service.

Equally, in the neighboring governorate of Sohag, Governor Tarek al-Feqy stated that Decent Life initiative built 87 schools out of 125. The completed schools have a total of 1,115 classrooms and are worth LE436.2 million.

By December, LE103 billion were spent through the initiative on 600 projects located across 377 villages at 11 governorates. Those are in the sectors of healthcare, education, infrastructure, sports, culture, and job creation.

Head of the Central Administration of Decent Life Initiative Alaa Gad al-Karim stated in September that the development of 1,413 rural villages - out of targeted 4,500 - will be accomplished by June 30, 2022, and that the upgrade of the entire Egyptian countryside will be completed by June 30, 2024.