A new plan to amend Egypt’s public education system

CAIRO – 21 February 2017: The Egyptian Ministry of Education is planning a new public education system to replace the current national high school examination program, thanaweya amma. The new system hopes to achieve a higher standard in the whole education process, Reda Hegazy, head of the public education sector in the ministry, told Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Hegazy denied the rumors of cancelling thanaweya amma exams this year and confirmed the ministry’s commitment to pursue a new “booklet system,” which was introduced in January.

“Implementing the booklet system this year is a temporary solution to eliminate electronic cheating, until a new system that measures the student’s understanding rather than memorization is in place,” Shawki said last week, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.

The booklet system is intended to merge the questions and answers in one sheet and to change the structure of the exam, in a way that combats the growing problem of exam leaks and cheating, which intensified last year through social media.

Shawki had proposed a new education system to President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in June 2016, as chief of the specialist Advisory Board of Education to the presidency. The plan includes a 12-year program that starts with the enrollment of the 2018 class to the primary education phase.

“The new system does not depend on memorization and it applies a modern evaluation system,” Shawki said, adding that it will require effort in all aspects, including training the teachers and improving their social level.