Egypt's Ministry of Education is preparing a draft law to criminalise private tutoring, and punish unauthorised teachers and centres with monetary penalties and prison sentence, Mohamed Omar, deputy minister of Education and Technical Education for Teachers' Affairs stated on Saturday. Omar said that the bill will also include penalties against storming into state educational installations and schools, as well as insulting teachers during their work. Penalties may even include prison sentences with varying periods. Moreover, the ministry is considering honouring teachers and students who preach good manners in society, Omar added. Earlier in September, Education Minister Tarek Shawky asserted that external books, which are not issued by the ministry, will not be authorised, as ministry books will be "enough for students." Shawky added that all curriculums are prepared, as well as the guides for teachers in all majors. Shawky, who was first named education minister in February 2017, has developed several innovate initiatives, including the Egyptian Knowledge Bank, an online digital portal that includes educational, research, and cultural resources for a wide range of users, and Teacher First, a training programme for teachers on using information and communication technologies in education, which are now available for Egyptian teachers. The Supreme Council of Pre-University Education approved last July a new project for the high school system, another system regulating kindergartens, and the first stage of preparatory school starting in September 2018.
