Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met on Wednesday with Mohamed Abdellatif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, to review the ministry's ongoing initiatives. Discussions included ensuring student attendance, the proposed alternative secondary education system (the "Baccalaureate"), and broader efforts to develop the basic and technical education systems. During the meeting, Abdellatif highlighted progress within the educational process. "Student attendance rates are generally high, reaching approximately 85%," he stated. The proposed alternative to the General Secondary Education Certificate (Thanawiya Amma), known as the "Baccalaureate," was also reviewed. According to the Minister, community dialogue sessions have involved discussions with education experts and specialists. Abdellatif emphasised the Ministry's initiatives regarding technical education, referencing his visit in February to the Salesian Institute "Don Bosco" alongside the Italian Minister of Education and the Italian Ambassador to Cairo. During the visit, they inaugurated the Italian Village model within the school. "Coordination is underway with prominent business leaders from the private sector to facilitate the employment of graduates from these schools," Abdellatif confirmed. The Minister of Education noted that letters of intent had been signed to create a joint platform promoting convergence between education systems and to establish the Egyptian-Italian Employment Centre. The latter aims to provide students and graduates with skills and training for the labour market via partnerships between educational institutions and industries in both countries. The signing took place with the head of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, the head of the Italian Industries Federation, and representatives of 30 Italian companies in attendance. A cooperation protocol was signed between the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) focusing on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to support Egyptian higher technical institutes. A cooperation agreement was also signed between AICS and Eni concerning the hospitality school in Damietta, within the framework of the – TEJPA program designed to improve technical education and employment prospects through the higher technical school model. The Minister clarified that the collaboration with Italy extends to other areas, noting ongoing coordination with the Italian Ambassador to establish new hotel schools in Egypt via partnerships with the private sector and Italian expertise. The partnership also aims to strengthen applied technology school projects in sectors such as textiles, mining, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. According to Abdellatif, these projects "play a key role in development by qualifying highly skilled and trained technical workers." Abdellatif mentioned international visits to strengthen cooperation with foreign partners. He cited his visit to Japan, stating that the country has "become a leading model in education, thanks to its innovative methods that contribute to improving educational standards and student performance." The visit to Japan focused on technology, programming, support for students with disabilities, curriculum development and assessment systems. It included tours of Japanese educational institutions and meetings with officials. The Minister of Education also mentioned his visit to Germany, where he held meetings to discuss strengthening cooperation mechanisms in pre-university education. He visited schools in Berlin to study German educational methods and practices, particularly the inclusion system. Abdellatif also highlighted cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, to strengthen aspects of cooperation with the private sector in developing agricultural technical schools. These efforts align with state plans to improve technical education outcomes. The Minister reviewed efforts in cooperation with private sector investors to benefit from the existing 172 agricultural schools, aiming to achieve development in the agricultural sector. This includes preparing technical workers trained in modern techniques, irrigation methods, livestock management and organic crops, while aligning agricultural education with labour market needs and creating new specializations.
