Head of the Education Department at UNICEF Egypt Shiraz Shakra in his speech at the meeting to discuss the Education and Technical Education Strategic Plan (2024-2029) on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Cabinet
In an event hosted by the Ministry of Education, Technical Education to kick off the community discourse about the development of the strategic plan for the years (2024-2029), Shakra identified a decline in kindergarten enrollment rates as the first challenge.
The low enrollment rate highlights the importance of education funding since, according to Shakra, every investment in education generates ongoing dividends over the course of a child's life.
The second challenge is the shortage of teachers, he noted as quoted by a ministry statement.
“While student enrolment rates [in general] have increased, the overall number of teachers has decreased,” Shakra said, emphasizing the percentage of school-aged children is expected to rise by 30 percent by 2030, meaning around eight million students will join the educational system.
The third challenge, according to him, is the reduction in knowledge and skill levels brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic. He added that this has been made worse by kids missing class for extended periods of time and a major drop in educational funding during the epidemic era.
The chief of UNICEF Egypt's Education Department examined suggestions aimed at improving the strategic plan in this regard.
“These proposals encompass increasing kindergarten enrollment by 2027, expanding classroom construction, engaging the community, expanding school facilities, and reducing primary-grade class sizes to 32 students per class by 2030,” the statement quoted Shakra as saying.
He also suggested converting all schools to a double-shift system, converting evening classes to full-day schedules, expanding teacher recruitment, hiring contract instructors, and lengthening instructional time in the classroom.
According to Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF's representative in Egypt, education reform in Egypt is progressing based on a precise and well-defined vision. Hopkins also emphasized that UNICEF's support for education extends to curriculum improvement and the integration of children who are not Egyptians into the Egyptian educational system.
On his end, Education Minister Reda Hegazy emphasized that the meeting on Sunday aimed to strengthen communication and cooperation between pertinent Egyptian authorities and international organizations.
Both the axes and priorities of the strategic plan aim to comprehensively reform the education system in line with the ‘Egyptian Education Reform Project’ launched by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in 2018.
Along with improving teaching and learning, the axes include expanding access, participation, equity, and inclusion.
However, the minister added that improving system management and governance and moving towards digital transformation are the ministry's top priority.
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