Ministry denies abolition of free of charge education

CAIRO - 16 November 2019: The Minister of Education Tarek Shawky denied on Saturday rumors that the government abolished free of charge education, which is an Egyptians' right that is stipulated in the constitution and law.

Shawky's speech came in response to rumors spread on social media, ensuring that no decision is made by the government unless it is announced to the public.

In a press release, Shawky urged Egyptians to validate news as not to cause any inconvenience or confusion.

In the same context, a parliamentarian proposed on Monday forming a working group to respond to rumors and fake news circulated by terrorist groups who seek distortion of the Egyptian state.

In July, last year, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned against false news clarifying that more than 21,000 rumors have been propagated over a period of three months. The president also asked people to be cautious of calls that inherently aim at the collapse of the Egyptian state. This came in the 66th anniversary of July 23 Revolution that ended the monarchy in 1952.

During his speech earlier in November on the occasion of Muslim's Al-Mawlid Al-Nabawi (Prophet Muhammad's Birthday), Sisi warning about the keenness of the outlawed groups, especially Muslim Brotherhood, to resort to spreading lies and false news, as well as using arms as part of their destruction plan.

In September, the Coordination Committee of Party’s Youth Leaders and Politicians (CPYP) issued a statement saying that the "Egyptian nation has demonstrated its full awareness of the devious methods and the use of modern technology or the media of terrorism to falsify facts."