CAIRO: Egypt's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Hani Helal announced that the new online admission process for governmental universities all set for the 2009-2010 academic year. During a press conference on Monday, he also praised the new "open education system that allows students to enroll in local universities within five years of completing their high-school diploma. Helal added that he believes in the power and ability of Egypt's youth, especially when supplemented with a strong and proper education. In a related note, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif conducted a joint meeting with the ministers of Education and Higher Education to discuss new plans to develop Egypt's ailing education system. According to the Cabinet's official spokesperson Magdy Rady, the strategy to develop education is divided into two main areas: First improving school curricula and books; and second developing a new evaluation system for students enrolled in the national high school system, thanaweya amma. According to Rady, the government is planning to spend LE 2.5 billion within the coming three years on higher education. In an interview with Minister of Education Youssry Al-Gamal on Al-Beit Betak talk show last week, he said that the ministry is working on a new program to change the current thanaweya amma grading system. The new system, he said, will make it obligatory for students to go through special proficiency tests to assess the students' abilities in their preferred field of study. This test would constitute 50 percent of the students' final grade.
