CAIRO - Farid Hassan, an Egyptian father, is angry that his son, who has just started secondary school, has to study a philosphy textbook glorifying former president Hosni Mubarak. “The book delivered by the education authorities to my son and thousands of his peers around the country carries on its back cover quotations from the toppled president's speeches. This reflects confusion in the country months after the revolution,” he says, referring to the popular revolt that deposed Mubarak in February. “Our education officials seem unaware that a revolution has taken place in Egypt,” he adds sarcastically. Other parents have recently complained after they discovered that history books offered to their children in secondary schools contain phrases praising Mubarak. “The history textbooks continue to say that Mubarak's rule was an extension of the 1952 revolution that defended the poor in this country. This is ridiculous,” says Faten Anwar, who has a child at secondary school, referring to the Free Officers, who overthrew the monarchy in Egypt nearly 60 years ago. “These historical fallacies confuse our children, who have seen with their own eyes the revolution against Mubarak,” she adds. Mubarak's critics say social disparities widened during his 30-year rule, adding that his Government, that included several business tycoons, condoned political and business corruption. Around 40 per cent of Egypt's 80 million population are believed to be living below the poverty line. Last week, the Ministry of Education ordered thousands of textbooks to be recalled, in response to parents' protests, according to local media. Officials at the Ministry were quoted as saying that these books were printed last year when Mubarak was in power and that they had to use them for the new school year, that began on September 17, due to a lack of money. Mubarak, 83, is being tried on charges of ordering the killing of people protesting against his rule and corruption. In April, an Egyptian court ordered that the name of Mubarak be removed from public squares and institutions.
