The Egyptian Ministry of Education today announced the opening of 293 new schools to service 4,443 new classes by the opening of the 2011-2012 school year on September 17. The ministry also plans to initiate another 8,162 classes for the new school year. “The main problem facing school construction is a lack of suitable sites and necessary funds,” said Ahmed Gamel el-Din Moussa, the minister of education. Moussa also discussed recent conversations with the Egyptian Ministers of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Culture. These meetings resulted in decisions to mandate national education at embassy schools, reform the rules of establishing international schools, enhance the power of the parents' council in schools and integrate students with simple disabilities into government and private schools. The minister will hold a press conference tomorrow at 11 a.m. to announce all new arrangements for the new school year.
