Egyptian Education Minister Tarek Shawky on Tuesday announced a long-awaited ministry plan that sets out the details of attendance in the new school year, in light of the coronavirus.

It also includes changes to the long-established thanaweya amma high school exam system.

Below is a short guide to the main points in the plan.

Egypt's new Thanaweya Amma system:

· University prospects will be based on a new electronic module which will replace the former grading system.

· The exams will not be unified nationwide.

· The exams will be taken and evaluated electronically, without any human intervention.

· The exams will be based on multiple-choice questions.

· The students will find out their results as soon as they finish.

· The ministry will issue four versions of the exam at the same difficulty level.

· The improvement exam system is being brought back; students are allowed to improve their grades by retaking any subject in a second round without any mark deduction.

Plan for school attendance:

· The year will start officially on 17 October 2020.

· Each year group will attend school for a specific number of days only, and not the whole week.

· There will be different schedules for pupils who attend public schools that are open for one session per day, and for those who attend schools which open for two sessions per day. Two-session schools are common in high-density areas.

· For one-session schools:

* Preparatory stage (first to third grade): two days only
* From kindergarten to third grade: four days only
* Fourth grade to sixth grade: two days only
* Secondary stage: two days only

· For two-session schools:

* Preparatory stage (first to third grade): two days only
* From kindergarten to third grade: three days only
* Fourth grade to sixth grade: three days only
* Secondary stage: two days only

· The secondary stage will depend mostly on digital content available on the students’ tablets.

Schools following international curricula, like the IGSE or the American system, will start their academic year on 15 September.