The cabinet’s approval to introduce a foundation year has stirred controversy within Egypt’s academic circles. The one-year programme will enable students who do not meet the minimum high school grade requirements to enrol in private and non-profit national universities starting the next academic year.

Critics argue for a thorough review of the measure, warning that it risks reducing the quality of Egypt’s higher education and transforming universities into profit-driven entities without delivering genuine educational value.

Conversely, proponents contend that the foundation year is a widely adopted practice the world over, independent of high school grades, designed to equip students with essential skills and broaden their knowledge base to pursue advanced studies across various disciplines.

Despite the cabinet’s decision announced weeks ago, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has yet to state the programme’s implementation regulations. A source at the Supreme Council of Universities said that key frameworks for the system are being established after consulting with the Council of Private and Non-Profit National Universities.

 The regulations include a condition that the score of an applicant should not fall below the minimum admission threshold for the targeted faculty by more than five per cent, though the cabinet may adjust the percentage upon the minister of higher education’s recommendation. Enrollment will align with the student’s academic qualifications, allowing students in the sciences section to study subjects from the mathematics section to qualify for those faculties and vice versa, while preventing any transfer to and from the literary section.

The source told Al-Ahram Weekly that the regulations ensure not exceeding each faculty’s capacity while maintaining a balance between foundation year students and those admitted through traditional qualification routes.

They also include a commitment to uphold the quality of education in private and national universities in accordance with international standards.

The foundation year will come with an e-platform to facilitate the application process. The platform will enable students to review admission requirements, fees, and the details before registering. Once enrolled, students will be assigned to their nearest public university where foundational courses will be taught to prepare them for their intended fields of study, the source explained.

The introduction of a foundation year is meant to reflect a commitment to quality education and uphold rigorous academic standards, the source noted.

Students enrolled in the foundation year will complete five subjects developed in collaboration with experts from the Supreme Council of Universities, with periodic updates to align with the evolving needs of faculties. The curriculum can be completed in one semester, allowing students to apply for admission to private or national universities in the second semester upon successful completion of the programme.

Public universities will assess students’ performance through examinations prepared in coordination with the Supreme Council of Universities. Results will be centralised and sent to the Council of Private and Non-Profit National Universities to standardise admission criteria and ensure fairness, the source said.

Before its official approval and implementation, the proposal will be submitted to parliament for review. Several MPs have demanded the application of rigorous regulations if the new system is applied. Amal Salama, a member of parliament’s Human Rights Committee, said the foundation year is “a right of all citizens to access quality educational opportunities that meet their aspirations and nurture their skills and talents”.

The foundation year presents an opportunity for tens of thousands of students who received the Thanawiya Amma or high school certificate to enhance their skills and deepen their understanding of various sciences, thereby equipping them to excel in comprehensive curricula compared to peers who enter faculties directly, Salama told the Weekly.

She advocated for the expansion of the foundation year in faculties with the highest demand in the labour market to address Egypt’s needs for graduates equipped for emerging global jobs. Salama pointed to the growing demand for skilled labour especially amid the increasing investment in sectors such as technology, digital transformation, clean energy, and logistics services which require professional competencies the education system must deliver.

Salama stated that the Ministry of Higher Education should establish stringent regulations to ensure students in the foundation year receive a superior educational experience that addresses their academic gaps. She called for evaluations to be under strict supervision by a special committee appointed by the minister of higher education, tasked with setting the foundation year’s general framework and periodically reviewing its outcomes to ensure the programme meets its objectives effectively.

Educational expert Mohamed Kamal, a professor at Cairo University, said the foundation year system is not innovative and is applied in some Western universities where it is used to linguistically and academically qualify foreign students for admission.

Kamal lauded the proposal, saying that applying the system in private and national universities offers a second chance to students whose high school scores fall within five per cent below the minimum requirement for their desired specialisation to pursue their preferred fields.

The system will reduce the number of Egyptian students seeking education abroad after failing to meet local admission criteria, alleviating the financial burden on parents and easing pressure on government universities and the state’s dollar resources, Kamal added.

However, he stressed the importance of regulating the system, proposing that the percentage of students admitted through the foundation year should not exceed 10 per cent of faculty enrollees to ensure fairness and maintain educational standards without disadvantaging other students.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 12 December, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly