By: Ashraf Sadek CAIRO, May 12, 2018 - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has directed the government to keep up its efforts to reform the pre-university education services that are provided to schools and students. The assertion of this firm state policy came at a meeting that President Sisi called on Saturday with the Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Dr.Tarek Shawqi, to assess the pace of implementing the education sector's plans for developing its services. During the meeting, President Sisi called for sustained and intensive action to promote the quality of primary, preparatory and secondary education in order to improve the standard of pupils so that they qualify for university education. The state vision for education, vocational training and scientific research is part of the Egypt 2030 Vision that the government is now pursuing to promote sustainable development. Speaking at the meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Assistant Major General Assem Abdel Mohssen, President Sisi explained that the overall drive to advance the education system was to ensure that pupils and students were well qualified to meet the requirements of university education. President Sisi also stressed the importance of the Education Ministry's continuing its efforts in drawing up special programmes to strengthen, develop and refine the skills of pupils and students and encourage their innovative and creative skills, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said. During the meeting, Minister Shawqi said that the Ministry had launched a strategy for developing the overall education system. The strategy incorporates improving the pre-university education system, developing the teachers' skills, applying modern teaching techniques, using modern and computerized equipment in classes, and setting up advanced and effective systems to evaluate and follow-up the students' performance, Minister Shawqi explained. So far, he continued, the Ministry had already taken a set of concrete steps to develop the whole pre-university education system. These steps included improving school curricula in terms of form and content, building the necessary infrastructure and facilities, trainning the school teachers, introducing an electronic system for correcting exams, and setting up a Question Bank for the students, Minister Shawqi said. The new system would be applied as of the next School Year 2018/2019, he said. The system would be applied on KG1 and KG2 children, first grade pupils, and first grade secondary school students, the minister said, adding that those students would be using a digital education system along with the traditional text books. Such system, he continued, would help improve self-learning and self-study skills among the students. In this regard, President Sisi gave directives that the Ministry of Education should apply the new system in full coordination with the ministries of communications and defence. Later on, President Sisi stressed the necessity of pursuing the distinguished performance of the electricity sector as well as its constant upgrading so as to meet the needs of citizens, Ambassador Radi said. The President's statements came at a meeting with the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Dr. Mohamed Shaker. During the meeting, President Sisi asserted the importance of ensuring that ordinary citizens feel noticeable improvement in the services offered to them in addition to the constant supply of electricity especially during the summer season. Minister Shaker presented a report to the President about his Ministry's efforts to make electricity networking with neighbouring countries. In this regard, the President's directives included the expedited conclusion of studies related to the electricity networking as part of Egypt's strategy to enhance its co-operation with neighbouring countries in the field of electricity. Such strategy, Minister Shaker said, would also ensure maximum utilisation of natural resources and the integration of electric energy policies to achieve energy security and push forward developmental efforts. Minister Shaker reviewed the progress of work in various projects that were being implemented in the electricity sector, pointing out that the sector was witnessing comprehensive enhancement with the establishment and upgrading of new power plants.
