CAIRO: The Independent Teachers' Syndicate is set to organize the first mock public trial of its kind to put Minister of Education Ahmed Zaki Badr in the hot seat, on Sept. 15 at the Journalists' Syndicate. Over three hours, the organizers of the trial will host a number of education experts with the aim of formulating a new vision on how to run the education system in Egypt. "We want to shed light on new ideas for reconstructing education in Egypt as well as developing mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency throughout the process," Mohib Aboud, member of the founding committee of the Independent Teachers' Syndicate, told Daily News Egypt. "We are not organizing the trial for Badr himself but for the policies the ministry is adopting and he is following which led us to the shabby state of education we are in now," he said. The syndicate board invited Badr to attend the trial or send representatives from the ministry; it also announced an open invitation to parents and students. "We are abiding by the legal requirements of the trial by allowing the ministry to defend itself as well as allowing the prosecutor to demonstrate his case," Aboud said. The syndicate blames Badr for "ignoring and excluding" prominent education experts and replacing them with "employees" while charting future plans. "We are calling for the establishment of a council to save primary and secondary education including experts the minister should consult," Aboud said. "We want a minister who can put in place and execute a firm policy for education in Egypt," he added.
