Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated on Wednesday the Egyptian-Japanese University for Science and Technology in Alexandria’s city of Borg El-Arab, as well as a number of private universities, the presidency said.

President El-Sisi said during the ceremony that significant improvement in the education sector has been achieved.

He stressed that the newly announced system for Thanaweya Amma exams aims at reducing human error in correcting exams through the implementation of an electronic testing system.

The president said a different system of attendance in schools will be applied as a preventative measure against COVID-19, explaining that students will go to school for two or four days a week.

He added that decreasing the number of students per class aims at maintaining social distancing.

He said working mothers should be given a priority in the decision to reduce working days amid the coronavirus crisis.

President discusses challenges

El-Sisi said some states and groups aim at destroying the Egyptian nation and fuel strife and conflict among people through funding distorting platforms.

He warned that national achievements underway are resisted by campaigns launched by “evil powers” who falsely claim the state’s efforts aim at harming people.

"We are fixing problems that have been neglected for years," the president said in comments during the inauguration of the Egyptian-Japanese University in Alexandria on Wednesday.

The president addressed the issue of rapid population growth in the country, saying the population, which stands at 103 million, is expected to reach 194 million by 2050.

To deal with rapid population growth, he said, the state needs to double its infrastructure projects during the coming 30 years, he said.

El-Sisi stressed the need to expand infrastructure projects, including roads, housing units, water desalination plants, and power plants over the coming years to cope with the population increase.

“What we have achieved so far was believed to be unachievable, and we did it thanks to God,” the president said.

El-Sisi warned that some of the ongoing attempts to sow doubts about the state’s efforts and intentions can reach a state of “treason and conspiracy to destroy the state."

“The government has laboured hard along myself in order for "Egypt not to burn, in order to counter those who lack a conscience and and only seek to sow doubts”

He added that hostile political currents claim they aim to change, but, he swore that “their hidden face is destruction.”

“I have always bet on the Egyptian people and their awareness."

Did I ever fail you?” the president asked. 

“I sacrificed myself along with the army in the face of many problems such as that of energy and fuel,” he added.

“Why do they want to destroy the state? Take your evil and leave us alone. We are a nation of 100 million people who want the country to progress," the president said.

El-Sisi stressed the need to expand infrastructure projects, including roads, housing units, water desalination plants, and power plants over the coming years to cope with the population increase.

“What we have achieved so far was believed to be unachievable, and we did it thanks to God,” the president said.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal, minister of higher education, and other state officials attended the ceremony.

Prime minister's statement

At the opening event, Prime Minister Madbouly said education is an issue of national security and a top priority for the government.

He said the state faces challenges in education such as the high number of students per classroom, poor education quality indicators, high illiteracy rates, and insufficient technical education schools.

Egypt has about 30,000 schools with 500,000 classrooms and 23.5 million students, he added.

He noted that 73,000 new classrooms, which would cost EGP 40 billion, need to be established to reach an opitimum ratio of students per class.

He added that 38 more universities are needed to cope with population growth.

Madbouly said the state has invested EGP 100 billion in education, including higher education, over the past six years.

He highlighted the importance of technical and professional training and the necessity to maintain a link between scientific research and industry.

He noted that eight modern technological universities and 100 government faculties and institutes are being established.

The prime minister added that the state plans to build 40,000 classrooms during the current and coming year.

The education minister's statement

The Minister of Education Tarek Shawki said that a new book on the “Values and Respect of Others” will be included in the school curriculum for third graders.

The ministry will seek, in coordination with the ministry of youth and the relevant body of the armed forces, to make physical education in schools a pass or fail course.

The minister said 75,000 new classes have been established during the last six years, at a total cost of EGP 24 billion.

The ministry plans to distribute 1.8 million tablets among students and install 36,000 computer screens as well as a new fiber optic network in schools to enhance the educational experience, Shawki said.

Egypt is currently operating 43 Japanese schools in 24 governorates.

Shawki also explained that the new Thanaweya Amma exam system will allow students to take more than one makeup test in the same subject to improve their grades.  

Higher education minister’s statement

Egyptian Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said the country has invested up to EGP 48 billion (around $3 billion) in public universities over the last six years.

He said that public universities accommodate 80 percent of the country’s university students, who number some 3 million, adding about 93 new public universities have been established in 2020.

The minister added that he expects the number of university students to increase by 2030, as the country’s population is projected to reach 121 million. 

“We need to provide more places in universities to cater to the expected increase,” he added.

The minister said that Egypt ranks 42nd worldwide for quality of education, noting that the country has exerted great efforts to improve its global classification.

He added that 21 Egyptian public universities were included among the best universities in scientific research.