Egypt's Senators suggest alternative approaches for funding educational sector

CAIRO - 24 January 2023: Senate members suggested additional funding alternatives for the educational sector, which included renting school walls as advertising spaces, taxing private lessons and adding businessmen to school administration boards 

 

Senate’s head of education and scientific research committee, Nabil Debes, suggested establishing a fund based on revenues from renting school walls as advertising spaces, accepting donations from businessmen and adding them to schools’ administration boards.

 

The fund will be used for building new schools to reduce the current class density in governmental schools and financing remedial classes for financially incapable students.

 

According to official statistics for governmental schools, class density at elementary schools reaches up to 54.98 student per class, while in preparatory schools it reaches up to 49.94 students per class and in secondary schools it reaches up to 42.98 students per class.

 

Furthermore, Debes suggested offering tutoring sessions to improve students’ education levels. The aforementioned sessions will include three main subjects in addition to computer subject, for LE 100 per semester to reduce costs for parents, while also encouraging businessmen to make donations to cover the costs for students who are unable to pay.

 

He also called for issuing a practice license for teachers to legalize and tax private lessons, as some teachers make up to LE 200,000 daily in profits without paying any taxes to the state.

 

During the session, Senate members advocated for further inclusion of the private sector in education when it comes to school building, to accommodate the increasing numbers of students, while also making sure that the school fees are proportionate with the families’ income. 

 

Moreover, they called for assigning graduates from faculties of education to teach in governmental schools during their military service, while continuing the competition for hiring 30 thousands teachers annually to fill the deficit in teachers’ numbers. 

 

Additionally, Senators emphasized the importance of developing school curriculums to fit the current demands of the job market, especially technical schools, in order to solve the shortage in technical labor.