Minister of Education and Technical Education Mohamed Abdel-Latif met last week with Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, sports, Science and Technology and an accompanying delegation to explore cooperation in various fields of education, beyond the establishment of Japanese schools. Abdel-Latif affirmed that the partnership with Japan has helped transfer pioneering educational expertise and supported the government’s drive to align Egypt’s educational system with the highest international standards.
The ministry has developed a comprehensive strategy to reform the education system, designating Japan as its main partner due to its well-established expertise and integrated approach to human development and educational advancement. Currently, there are 79 Japanese schools in Egypt, with plans to expand to between 90 and 100 by the start of the new academic year. Abdel-Latif noted that President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has stressed the importance of scaling up the model to 500 schools within five years.
Japanese schools represent a successful educational model that the ministry aims to take to African and Middle Eastern countries, enhancing regional cooperation and the exchange of expertise. Ministry spokesman Shadi Zalata highlighted that more than seven cooperation agreements have been signed with Japan over the past 18 months, reinforcing the strategic partnership in education.
Zalata added that cooperation extends to curriculum development, particularly in mathematics, science, and programming. An agreement has been signed to introduce programming as a subject in all public schools for students in first-year secondary.
In partnership with the Japanese company Sprix, an ambitious five-year plan is underway to develop mathematics up to the third year of secondary school, ensuring full alignment with Japan’s approved curriculum.
“The newly developed curriculum has already been implemented for first grade primary students during the current school year,” Zalata said, adding that collaboration with entities such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is increasing the number of Japanese experts working in Egypt to maximise the benefit of Japan’s educational experience.
At the same time, a cooperation agreement is being studied with Hiroshima University and other Japanese universities to implement a specialised one-year training programme for teachers at the Professional Academy for Teachers. “Participating teachers will obtain a diploma accredited by Japanese universities which will raise their professional competence in line with the latest educational systems,” Zalata explained.
He further noted that Abdel-Latif is keen to introduce and expand modern scientific subjects, particularly programming and artificial intelligence, as key tools for building future skills, improving the educational environment, and enhancing student discipline.
On supporting students with special needs, Abdel-Latif stressed the ministry’s commitment to benefiting from Japanese expertise in developing tailored educational programmes and creating supportive school environments. He pointed out that work has already begun with the 10 Ramadan Centre as a pilot model, which will serve as the foundation for additional specialised centres dedicated to the care and education of people with special needs.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 22 January, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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