Former Egypt's interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei (Photo: Reuters)
Segments about Egypt’s Noble Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei will return to school text books starting from next school year, an official statement by the Ministry of Education said on Wednesday.
“A thorough study of the subject was made and it was found that the picture of ElBaradei was present in the list of all the Egyptians who won the Noble Prize in both second and fifth grade primary school Arabic exercise books," the statement read.
The ministry statement highlighted that the committee tasked to review the Arabic curricula for the 2015/2016 year concluded its work in March 2015 and that the books were printed in August 2015.
"The committee has removed the name of the Nobel Prize winner from the fifth grade primary school books but left his name in the second grade primary ones for unstated reasons," the statement read.
Education ministry spokesperson Beshir Hassan said on Tuesday that the removal of ElBaradei's biography took place during the tenure of former education minister Moheb El-Rafei following "the request of teachers and parents."
The Arabic reading comprehension textbook included an exercise that had pictures of three Egyptian Nobel laureates: former president Anwar El-Sadat, scientist Ahmed Zuwail, and ex-president of the International Atomic Energy Agency ElBaradei.
The activity required students to connect the pictures with dates in which they received their Nobel Prizes.
Short link: