The time is ripe for pre-university educational reform, suggests Malak Zaalouk* A discussion of the exigencies of educational reform in Egypt will entail a holistic approach. The analyses of the problems, objectives and strategies will require a capacity to examine root causes and not simply be satisfied at depicting the manifestations of dysfunctional systems and actions. It will furthermore necessitate innovative strategies and partnerships thus leading to commitments and alliances beyond the educational sector; educational specialists cannot be left with this lone responsibility nor do they have the solution to all ills. Such a serious endeavor will require courage, initiative, trust and perseverance. Major issues confronting the educational system at the Pre-University level: A major issue to be contended with is the belated attention to serious educational reform. After a period of gradual erosion to the educational system it is only in the nineties that serious attention was given the sector. Moreover the attention given to reform was piecemeal and lacked in vision. It is only in 2002/2003 that a vision was outlined which attempted to respond to questions such as what educational quality are we seeking to propagate in the formation of which citizen in Egypt. The beginnings of a vision was reached through the development of standards for educational quality which spanned the outcomes of learning sought and the adequate curriculum to reach those objectives of learning; the kind of teacher needed to impart those objectives and skills to learners; the adequacy and effectiveness of schools to enhance such learning for all children; the degree of parent support and community participation needed for a true paradigm shift to occur in the democratization and reform of schooling; and finally the ways in which educational management can excel in promoting the right leadership and system to support school based reform. Although the vision is still new and not yet well rooted it is however characterized by a very significant condition for success; namely the holistic and integrated approach to reform. To ensure that this vision is instrumental and will indeed lead the reform process, more needs to be done in the way of clarifying the desired political economy aspired to, the value system and ideology the country wishes to adhere to, the kind of human being the educational system will contribute in developing and identifying those components of quality which will match the vision in its entirety in great detail (indicators and rubrics). Finally this process should culminate in reaching national consensus on what quality learning means to educators, parents and communities. Another significant challenge to educational reform is ensuring responsible parental and community participation. If parents and communities are uneducated and unaware, their participation can obstruct reform and development. To enhance responsible participation of communities and parents, the kind that will enrich and improve the learning of their children a great deal must be done in the way of advocacy, sharing of information, public mobilization and enlightment. Parents have often stood in the way of school reform and educational practices that work, out of ignorance and short sighted interest. The public needs to become a strong pillar of support for educational reform. They need to trust innovations and research results and cooperate with those experiments that promise to work. It is the public that is often more conservative and resistant to change than educators. Another source of resistance to reform and a true challenge in improving the system at large are teachers. Seriously underpaid they are in addition disempowered and their professional development totally neglected. It is no wonder that over the years they have successfully contributed to the sabotaging of the system by moonlighting (finding additional sources of income) and private tutoring. They are totally unequipped to live up to the requirements of the new vision for learning. Finally a major challenge to the system is resource allocations. Not only is the funding of the sector not sufficient both in absolute and relative terms, but in addition the scarce resources are not prioritized according to a comprehensive vision for the enhancement of quality education for all. Suggested strategies to rectify the above: 1.Complete the visioning exercise and strive for national consensus building around the national standards while strengthening advocacy for quality learning and innovations in reform. 2. Introduce strategic planning with sustainable strategic units and structures to ensure a sustainable sector wide reform with proper budgetary analyses and allocations of human and economic resources according to situation analyses and priority setting. This is the way the vision will be put in place. 3. Establish a Professional Academy for Teachers (PAT) to enhance the status of teachers and promote their professional development. 4. Engage in civil service reform to ensure more effective promotion and incentive systems for teachers and educators. Donor partnership and support: International organizations and donor agencies are in a good position to support and accompany the Egyptian educational reform endeavor by: 1. Coordinating their efforts and entering into dialogue with the Government of Egypt who will guide them as to how they can best support and fit into the strategic plan. 2. Bring the best practices in the world in standard setting, strategic planning, school based reform and decentralization, educational management and leadership, curriculum development, teacher education and professional development and classroom management to national policy makers and practitioners. 3. Create models on the ground to catalyze change. 4. Provide technical assistance in building national capacity 5. Secure financial support for innovative programmes. * The writer is Regional Advisor, UNICEF
