CAIRO, May 20, 2018 - A plan to upgrade education is being co-implemented by the ministries of education and higher education starting from kindergarten through all the stages up to college and preparation for the labour market, said Education Minister Tarek Shawki on Sunday. He added that the plan was aimed at preparing Egyptian pupils to cope with entering the job market after graduation. Shawki was speaking during a ceremony organised by the Education Ministry to mark the signing of seven protocols with major international companies, specialised in information and scientific research. The companies are to provide the Egyptian Knowledge Bank with various scientific research papers, journals and encyclopoedias, Shawki said. These references will be made available to all researchers, academics, ministries and public and government associations, the minister added. He confirmed that the protocols would include organising workshops and training courses. Minister Shawki said that Egypt's real wealth lay in a well-prepared generation, and he stressed that the state was keen that the right to education should be enjoyed by every citizen. He affirmed that the state guaranteed free education and encouraged technical education and vocational training to meet the requirements of the job market. "The state has devised plans and programmes to eradicate illiteracy," the minister said, "and the plan to upgrade education is focusing on building a new generation with asound and exceptional character." Minister Shawki said that Egypt would witness a comprehensive development of the educational process as part of the Egypt Vision 2030 and there would be an upgrade in the technological and applied school system. The Minister of Higher Education, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, stressed the importance of upgrading university education through drawing up new curricula and enhancing educational performance to better meet the demands of a skills-based labour market. "As of next year, university students will study electronic curricula and will have electronic exams," Abdel Ghaffar said.
