WASHINGTON, April 22, 2018 (MENA) -- The Egyptian government and the World Bank signed an agreement at an amount of $500 million for the Supporting Egypt Education Reform project, which aims to improve teaching and learning conditions in Egypt's public education system, the WB said in a statement. The signing took place on the sidelines of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings, with Minister of Investment and International Co-operation Sahar Nasr signing on behalf of Egypt and Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti Asad Alam on behalf of the World Bank. Minister of Education and Technical Education Tarek Shawki and World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Hafez Ghanem also attended the signing ceremony. In support of Egypt's education sector reforms, the five-year project aims to expand access to quality kindergarten for around 500,000 children, train 500,000 teachers and education officials, while providing 1.5 million students and teachers with digital learning resources. In addition, more than two million students will benefit from the new student assessment and examinations system. "Investing in people is key to inclusive economic growth. We welcome the World Bank's support to the implementation of our ambitious home-grown education sector reform program. It is a strategic opportunity and the government is fully committed to developing the education system to build a productive generation that is well-equipped and ready for the competitive world," Nasr said. This reform effort aims to bring learning back to the classroom through: improving access to and the quality of early childhood education, developing a reliable student assessment and examination system, enhancing capacity of teachers, education leaders and supervisors, and using modern technology for teaching and learning, assessing students, and collecting data, as well as expanding the use of digital learning resources. "September 2018 marks the start of the journey to make our students ready for life, and we are pleased to have this partnership with the World Bank to accompany us on that journey. Our goal is to provide our students with the competencies they need to create a society that learns, thinks and innovates," Shawki said. "With this investment in education, with a renewed focus on the nature and quality of education, Egypt is making a commitment to its young people and the future of the country," Ghanem said. "Fostering skills such as critical thinking, managerial skills and working collaboratively, will usher in a new economy, where learning, innovation, and technology are front and center." The World Bank finances programs and projects to help Egypt reduce poverty and boost shared prosperity. The focus of Bank support includes social safety nets, energy, transport, rural water and sanitation, irrigation, social housing, health care, job creation, and financing for micro and small enterprises. The World Bank currently has a portfolio of 16 projects with a total commitment of $6.69 billion.
