Fragile ceasefire in Gaza: Egypt's intelligence chief visits Israel to advance peace process    Egypt, Qatar discuss Gaza aid, bilateral cooperation    Egypt, France agree to boost humanitarian aid, rebuild Gaza's health sector    Egypt implements 60% of 300 investment climate reforms: El-Khatib    AOI overhauls, repairs nitrogen fertilizer plant turbines for first time in Egypt    Egypt's SCZONE head meets with Toyota Tsusho, Tokyo officials on Japan tour    Egyptian junior and ladies' golf open to be held in New Giza, offers EGP 1m in prizes    EGX closes mixed on Oct. 21    The Survivors of Nothingness — Part Two    EGAS, Eni, TotalEnergies sign Cronos field handling agreement    Oil prices drop on Tuesday    Egypt discusses troop deployment to Somalia with foreign minister    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Health Minister reviews readiness of Minya for rollout of universal health insurance    Egypt strengthens ties with NEPAD at Aswan Forum    Sisi invites Egyptians to join Gaza reconstruction drive, citing shared humanity    Egypt screens 13.3m under presidential cancer detection initiative since mid-2023    Egypt launches official website for Grand Egyptian Museum ahead of November opening    The Survivors of Nothingness — Episode (I)    Al-Sisi: Cairo to host Gaza reconstruction conference in November    Egypt, WHO sign cooperation strategy to strengthen health system through 2028    Egypt successfully hosts Egyptian Amateur Open golf championship with 19-nation turnout    Africa can lead global recovery, Egypt's Sisi tells Aswan Forum    Egypt: Guardian of Heritage, Waiting for the World's Conscience    Egypt, Qatar sign MoU to boost cooperation in healthcare, food safety    Egypt will never relinquish historical Nile water rights, PM says    Al Ismaelia launches award-winning 'TamaraHaus' in Downtown Cairo revival    Al-Sisi, Burhan discuss efforts to end Sudan war, address Nile Dam dispute in Cairo talks    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile actions, calls for global water cooperation    Egypt unearths New Kingdom military fortress on Horus's Way in Sinai    Egyptian Open Amateur Golf Championship 2025 to see record participation    Syria releases preliminary results of first post-Assad parliament vote    Karnak's hidden origins: Study reveals Egypt's great temple rose from ancient Nile island    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Plight of technical education
Published in The Egyptian Gazette on 23 - 04 - 2013

While calls have been voiced for years for upgrading technical schools such that their school-leavers would fill in a gap in the labour market, the fact on the ground is that these schools are still suffering from a bundle of problems.
Having low budget and poor equipment not to mention the indifference of the students themselves for various reasons, these schools are stumbling as educationalists say.
This kind of education has been perceived by experts as a possible alternative to the highly demanding general secondary education, if more attention is paid to offering quality vocational education.
A field study conducted by an expert at the National Council for Social and Criminal Research (NCSCR) has however unveiled a surprising finding: 35 per cent of a polled sample of principles of industrial educational institutes say these schools should be closed down. They described the students as ‘losers'.
They complain that enrolled students are indifferent to school, and are mostly of low mental ability. According to the local educational system, these schools accept students with very low grades who have been usually rejected in preparatory and secondary schools that administer general, rather than technical curricula.
Hala Ramadan chose a sample of 2,000 students from l7 industrial schools mostly governmental ones where study course vary between three to five years. The questionnaire she made covered the opinion of teachers and school principles in students and work prospects after graduation.
According to one polled teacher, the mental abilities of students accepted in technical education are not up to the standard because, as he says, they are mostly students who repeatedly failed courses of the general secondary school.
The answer the researcher obtained about the chances for technical school- leavers of getting jobs was that they were minimal because of their low qualifications and the absence of co-ordination between schools and production facilities.
Teachers say that students do not take school seriously because of poor administration, and because many of the students work part-time to earn a living.
According to the teachers questioned, about 85 per cent of industrial students work in workshops to help their families earn a living. The study showed that in a society that looks down upon technical school-leavers, the enrolled students are mostly of a modest social background.
The researcher explained in a conference held last week by the NCSCR that there is an apparent correlation between the low socio-economic status of most technical education students and their wish to join the labour market at any expense.
This includes even if just by getting an end of study certificate, while they have not actually learned anything.
Some 37 per cent of the students' sample said that their absence from school is attributed to their need to make a living, often in jobs that have nothing to do with their main school studies.


Clic here to read the story from its source.