DistantNews
Support us
🇪🇬 Egypt /Culture & Society

UN Report Shows Dramatic Improvement in Egyptian Schools, Minister Confident in Parent Confirmation

From Al-Masry Al-Youm · () Arabic

Translated from Arabic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A UN team reported significant improvements in Egyptian schools, showing a rise in student attendance from 15% to 87% and a decrease in class density from 63 to 41 students per class.
  • The report, which tracked schools with the ministry's knowledge, also noted the elimination of overcrowded classrooms that previously held over 100 students.
  • Education Minister Mohamed Latif is confident that parents will confirm these improvements, highlighting increased teacher presence as evidenced by frequent student assessments.

A United Nations team's report has presented a starkly improved picture of Egypt's school system, detailing significant gains in student attendance and classroom conditions. The report indicates that student attendance has surged from a mere 15% in 2023 to 87% this year. Furthermore, the average class size has shrunk considerably, from 63 students to 41. Perhaps most notably, the report states that the 2,000 classrooms previously exceeding 100 students are no longer an issue.

These findings were presented at a conference on "Envisioning the Future of Education in Egypt" by a specialized UN team that monitored the situation in schools with the ministry's cooperation. The team's work was conducted with the ministry's knowledge and coordination, and the ministry reportedly welcomed their observations.

Do you find that your children go to school more than before? Do they find a place in a less crowded classroom than before? Do they find the teachers waiting for them?

— Mohamed LatifEducation Minister Mohamed Latif challenges the public to ask families about school conditions.

Education Minister Mohamed Latif appears to stake his reputation on these reported improvements. He challenges anyone to visit any village or city and ask families whether their children attend school more frequently, find less crowded classrooms, and have teachers present. The minister anticipates an affirmative response to all three questions. He also points to the increase in student assessments as evidence of greater teacher presence, noting that such evaluations are common in private and international schools and require teachers to be actively involved on a weekly and monthly basis.

The minister emphasizes that student attendance is the foundational element of the educational process. All subsequent developments in education, he argues, depend on students being present in school.

The starting point is the student's attendance at his school, not his truancy or absence from it, and what follows in the educational process follows attendance and does not precede it.

— Mohamed LatifEducation Minister Mohamed Latif emphasizes the importance of student presence in school.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Al-Masry Al-Youm in Arabic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog