By Magdi Mehanna In his opening statement the new education minister was eager to re-assure Egyptians that he is not about to modify ministry policies. Any change in curricula or the number of years required for a particular certificate will come at a later stage. The statement was intended to generate a sense of stability and establish the ministry's firmness of principle. The problem is that the present situation is profoundly unstable. "Stability" in the system of the thanawiya amma (general secondary education certificate) cannot result in effective education policies, nor reduce the terror besetting families as a result of those policies. What is required, rather, is radical intervention -- to replace present policies with new ones. It is inconceivable, for example, that a science-branch student who achieves an exam grade of 95 per cent should have no place in faculties like medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or even physiotherapy. The only faculties in which he might enroll are those of general science or languages, or else others like commerce and art. Is this acceptable? Can the perpetuation of this system help anyone? It is not the education minister's responsibility alone to radically alter this situation, but also that of the minister of higher education and the government at large. The purpose of the thanawiya amma is not to hatch the largest possible number of students only to push them into enrolling at already overpopulated universities. What is required of Nazif's government is to place education at the top of its list of priorities. One or more cabinet sessions should be dedicated to this issue. This is as important as the price of bread or maintaining employment, or as water and air, in the words of literary pioneer Taha Hussein. Still further, the fate of those seeking education has a direct impact on every ailment Egyptian society suffers. This week's Soapbox speaker is former co-editor- in-chief of Al-Wafd newspaper.
