Minister of education reveals status of Japanese schools

CAIRO - 13 February 2019: Minister of Education and Technical Education Tarek Shawky posted on his Facebook account the main features of the education system adopted by Japanese schools and the progress achieved in their foundation.

Thirty-five Japanese schools were inaugurated on September 22, 2018, and fully funded by Egypt under the auspices of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the minister said. The establishments adopt the Japanese-style education including special activities (Tokkatsu) in elementary stages such as cleaning the classroom and being the class leader for a day (nitchoku).

Tokkatsu is applied by Egyptian teachers under the supervision of Japanese trainers and experts. The experts visit the schools twice a month at least, while the trainers visit the schools weekly.

The experts reports reviewing the teachers performance are positive, the minister said. Tokkatsu teaches children hygiene, and eating etiquette, and that is what happens at schools. However, the schools do not offer any meals, the minister clarified.

The lack of certain facilities in the schools such as computer and language labs does not affect the education process as the classes introduced in those schools at present are KG1, KG2, and P1 that do not need them, the minister said.

Sixty percent of facilities at the Japanese schools have been finished during the mid-year break including green areas. The computers and projectors are still being supplied to the schools, the minister explained.

The tuitions fees are LE10,000 that are paid on three installments. The first two are worth LE4,000, and the last is worth LE2,000. The subscription to the mobile application is LE200 to be paid one time when first enrolled at any of the Japanese schools. However, the application has not been launched yet.

Egypt has launched an initiative to build 200 “Japanese Schools” adopting the Japanese education system more than three years ago.