Egypt's Minister of Education and Technical Education, Mohamed Abdel Latif, met with the Swiss Ambassador to Egypt, Yvonne Baumann, on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in pre-university education. At the outset of the meeting, the Minister commended the excellent relations between Egypt and Switzerland in various fields, particularly in pre-university education. He expressed his gratitude for Switzerland's support for pre-university education in Egypt, specifically mentioning various cooperative programs underway. He expressed his desire for further collaboration on various educational issues and the exchange of expertise between the two countries. The Minister reviewed the ministry's efforts in recent years to address longstanding challenges facing the Egyptian education system. He highlighted initiatives implemented to reduce student density in classrooms across the country and address teacher shortages. He noted these solutions were developed based on extensive visits to schools in 20 governorates and meetings with school principals and education directors. Ambassador Baumann commended the ministry's efforts in addressing these challenges and emphasised the importance of continued cooperation in implementing joint projects between the two countries. She acknowledged the Egyptian Ministry of Education's role in developing the pre-university education system and expressed her desire for increased bilateral cooperation in the future, particularly in technical and vocational education. The meeting explored several areas of mutual interest, including strengthening cooperation in establishing schools specialising in hospitality, modern agriculture, and precision industries, as well as in technical and vocational training. The aim is to equip Egyptian youth with the skills needed for the job market. Switzerland boasts extensive experience in developing skills, technical and vocational education, and preparing qualified personnel to meet the demands of the job market. The meeting was also attended by Iman Sabry, Assistant Minister for Private Education; Sherine Hamdy, the Minister's Advisor for International Relations and Agreements; and Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for the Development of Technical Education and Director of the Technology and Applied Schools Management Unit, representing the Ministry of Education. Elizabeth Gelgen, Deputy Head of Mission at the Swiss Embassy, and Sarah Nour, Deputy Chairman of the Swiss Society, attended on behalf of the Swiss Embassy.
