Minister of Education and Technical Education Mohamed Abdel-Latif has issued a decree to increase the number of school days in Egypt and another stipulating the inclusion of religion as a core school subject that counts in students’ final scores.
After receiving the consent of both Al-Azhar and the Egyptian Orthodox Church, Abdel-Latif delivered the ministerial decision regarding the inclusion of religion as a core subject to the House of Representatives, the lower house of Egypt’s parliament, for its approval.
In the past, religion was considered as a supplementary subject, and grades in religion classes were not taken into account when calculating students’ overall grades. The new decision is in line with governmental goals to bolster students’ religious and national identity and to emphasise moral and civic education.
The minister said that the decision was based on the conviction that religious education plays a crucial role in forming students’ moral character and fostering a sense of responsibility and citizenship.
“Religion is a way of life, not merely a subject,” he said at a press conference. “We hope to develop well-rounded people who are rooted in their beliefs and make valuable contributions to society by making it a fundamental subject.”
The decision has been praised by some parents and teachers who say it will help to strengthen cultural and religious identification. Samira Ahmed, a housewife and the mother of two school pupils, said she believes that teaching religion as a core subject will help to ensure that children grow up with strong ethical foundations in a world where moral values are often overlooked.
“It will oblige our children to be concerned with religion as a fundamental subject at school, and this will reflect on their behaviour,” she said.
However, others have expressed worries about possible biases and the difficulties in putting the idea into practice in a multicultural society, concerned that making religion a core school subject could cause conflicts between students of different religions.
According to Mohamed Ibrahim, a high school teacher in a state school, the curriculum needs to be created with care to encourage inclusion and tolerance.
In a second decree, the minister also declared that starting in 2025-26 the school year will be extended from 173 to 180 days. The decision aims to make students spend more time at school in order to enhance their academic performance, in addition to bringing Egypt’s educational system into line with global standards.
The minister emphasised that the extended school year will allow for a more comprehensive curriculum and better preparation for exams. “Our students deserve the same opportunities as their peers abroad. By increasing the number of school days, we are giving them more time to learn, grow, and compete on a global stage,” Abdel-Latif explained.
Concerns regarding Egypt’s short school year in comparison to other nations prompted the decision, Shady Zalata, the ministry’s official spokesman, said.
“Long vacations of up to four months a year affect the ability of students to comprehend and be involved in the educational process as they are absent from school for several months,” he said.
There are still more school days in many other countries even with the increase in their number in Egypt, Zalata added.
Germany and the Netherlands have about 200 school days, whereas South Korea and Japan have about 220. These countries routinely score highly on international tests of education, like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which gauges pupils’ proficiency in science, maths, and reading.
Parents and teachers have expressed varying opinions on the extension. Some believe it will benefit students academically, while others worry about the added pressure on families and teachers.
“More school days mean more learning opportunities, which is great for our children’s future,” said Rania Mahmoud, the mother of a primary school child.
However, Ibrahim Hassan, a primary school teacher, said “teachers are already overburdened with large classes and limited resources. Extending the school year without addressing these issues could lead to burnout.”
Zalata said that the gclass sizes and other issues. The 2024-25 academic year has seen class sizes fall to less than 50 students per class in 90 per cent of schools across the country’s governorates.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 January, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Short link: