CAIRO: Teachers, unhappy with the Ministry of Education's decision to peg their salary increase to standardized tests, are trying to build a bloc within their syndicate that would be strong enough to overthrow the current board and re-elect a new one. In a preliminary exam taken by a randomly chosen group of teachers, more than 90 percent failed the exam, a source inside the Ministry of Education told Daily News Egypt on condition of anonymity. The test consists of three sections: Arabic language, ethics and questions about the teacher's subject of specialization. Teachers think that the mere idea of testing them after many years in the profession is disrespectful and offensive. In several reports in the local press, which indicated that some of the questions were irrelevant to teachers, expressed their concern that students won't respect them if the ministry itself does not. "The minister insists on the exam and there will be no other alternative, the ministry source said. "The purpose of the new law and the exam is not just to raise the teachers' salaries, but also to raise their knowledge, said General Omar Ibrahim, director of accounting and statistics department at the ministry, quoting Minister of Education Youssry Al Gamal's statement to the media. Fareed Abd-El-Samee' the Ministry of Education's Media Advisor told Daily News Egypt that teachers will be tested in the period between Aug. 24 and Aug. 28 in public universities. The exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions, and teachers will have seating numbers that they obtain from their schools. Ibrahim said that judging by the few questions he read, the exam won't be difficult for teachers to answer.
