Egyptian schoolchildren on a class visit [/caption]
The need to overhaul the education system in Egypt has long been recognised by Egyptian academics, political and economic analysts, and teachers. The obstacles that the education system has to deal with are formidable, including poor-quality teaching, the fact that students are encouraged not to think critically, and the stifling influence of the government on the national curriculum.
[inset_right]The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
‘Education: The Best Investment’ [/inset_right]
A recent conference at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London entitled ‘Education: The Best Investment’ aimed to share education and training experiences in Egypt and the UK in order to improve cooperation between the two countries in this sector.The conclusion that most of the speakers came to was that the entire education system needed to be reformed, from the way that teachers teach their students in primary schools to the way university students are prepared for graduate careers.
A huge problem that most teachers face in Egypt is the low level of income they receive: around 60-70 cents a day according to Chatham House. This forces them to teach students privately in order to earn extra money. This in turn leads to a whole new host of other problems, including the fact that it provides an incentive for teachers to teach poorly in class to ensure that their students will ask them for private lessons, and to favour their private students when it comes to grading exams.
At recent protests by teachers, who filled Cairo’s Qasr al-Aini Street, they demanded a minimum salary of 3000 LE, and, crucially, that private lessons be criminalised, according to the Egypt Independent. The Ministry of Education responded by issuing a statement which expressed its commitment to increase the basic salary of teachers by 100 per cent. This should improve the situation somewhat, but depends on the government honouring its promise.
Unemployment is more widespread amongst graduates than non-graduates, and it is estimated that 80% of graduates are unemployed. Many attribute this to the lack of skills. Speakers at the SOAS conference touched upon the role that large businesses currently play in increasing the quality of education that young Egyptians obtain, and equipping them with the skills that make them employable after they graduate. There is room for expansion in investment from businesses who are already participating in training Egyptian university students, such as Vodafone and CIB Bank, and more businesses could become involved. The CEO of Vodafone Egypt, Hatem Dowidar, highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between employment and education and said that dealing with education and employment as separate entities was detrimental as they were both intertwined. As such, businesses should appreciate the transferable and academic skills that students bring to the workplace and students in turn should be encouraged to undertake paid or unpaid work whilst still in education in order to achieve a greater understanding of the workplace.
An example of a business who aims to achieve this balance is Vodafone Egypt which hosts a paid summer school for undergraduate students who wish to obtain experience of a business environment and develop skills in reasoning, critical thinking and teamwork. To enrol in these summer schools, students are expected to have a good command of English, which highlights the importance that Egyptian businesses place on communicating in a globalised world. According to the AT Kearney Global Services Location Index, Egypt was named the fourth most attractive location in the world for outsourcing. This indicates the large supply of talent that Egypt has to offer local and multinational companies and the potential its students have to offer to the economy.
As a result, the importance of learning English and other foreign languages was also stressed by academics and businesses alike. However, most schoolteachers are reluctant to undertake scholarships to qualify in teaching English even if they are fully funded, as this would mean that they would not be able to tutor privately whilst training. Again, this problem can be avoided by paying teachers a wage that reflects the importance of education.
Negative attitudes towards vocational training are another problem facing education reformers in Egypt. Examination results in Egypt determine what faculty a student can study in. Students who attain the highest marks can study in more prestigious faculties such as medicine or engineering whilst those with lower marks are limited to lower-status faculties of education or agriculture. Those who have failed to win a university place at all are limited to technical colleges. Students of technical colleges are therefore looked down on and have limited learning opportunities after they graduate. Technical and vocational training is also a lower priority for funding, which affects the quality of the training they receive. Raising the status, and therefore quality, of vocational and technical training would allow more students to undertake it.
It is of the utmost importance therefore that teachers are paid well in order to raise the standard of education in Egypt and to combat the problems that stem from the poor salary that they currently receive. Not only will an increase in pay encourage teachers to teach to a high standard, but it will also allow them to undertake teacher training in foreign languages without worrying about making ends meet. This would result in students receiving a better quality education and excelling in languages which would make them more employable. Serious attempts must also be made to bridge the gap between education and employment by encouraging students to undertake employment and internships alongside their studies. Finally, negative attitudes towards vocational training must be transformed so that Egypt can benefit fully from, and invest in, the potential that students of technical colleges have to offer.
