Education in Egypt
A, B, C: The Building Blocks of the Pyramids

"The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them."
-Mark Twain

Your name in hieroglyphics.

  • Education Overview

    •  Over the past forty years the illiteracy rate of Egypt has dropped from 75% to 40%. Under the Education Act of 1953, free education is available for all children between the ages of six and twelve. In 1995 Egypt's student population reached 15 million in the pre-university stages and continues to grow.

  • Problems Within the Educational System

    •  Even though education is available through the state, many children do not have the opportunity to attend. For many children education is minimal either due to the quality of the schools or by the extra "hidden" expenses such as tutors, books and uniforms. Gender has also affected the amount of schooling children receive. Young girls have just recently become major participants in education. In the past it was not safe for girls to walk the long distance to school alone. The Ministry of Education took action on this and built 110 community schools near rural villages so it was easier and safer for everyone to enjoy the equal benefits of education.

  • General Schooling

    •  Children enter the basic education stage when they are six and continue there until they reach the age of fifteen. After completing basic education, a child then enters secondary school, which is broken down into general and technical. General education combines academics with vocational training and it lasts three years. Technical education aims at producing technicians in commercial, agricultural and industrial fields and it lasts five years.

  • Projects to Upgrade Egypt's Schools

    • Under the leadership of President Mubarak and his wife Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, several programs have been instituted that target the upgrading of public schools. National Project of the Nineties aims at reducing the number of students per classroom, ensuring the availability of school playgrounds and libraries and providing primary education for all rural and poor children. Currently education in Egypt is improving because more advantages, benefits and opportunities are given to all children, regardless of status, gender, and location.

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    References:
    Committee on the rights of the child, concluding observations on Egypt, U.N. doc. Crc/c/15/add.5 (third session, 1993). (1993, February 18). United Nations. (1998, October 13).
    Egypt Economic Profile. (1997, March 15). Progress on Education and Health. (1998, October 20).
    Moehimann, K. Girl-Friendly schools improve Egypt's report card. (1998, November 3).
    SAAD, G.R. (1996, July). Educational System of the Arab Republic of Egypt. (1998, October 20).
    (1995)Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nation:Africa. (8th Edition) New York: Gale Research Inc.

    The purpose of this page is to inform browsers about the current education situation in Egypt. This page was written by Kristi Oppenheim in the Fall of 1998 and is a part of The Children of Egypt homepage created by Nicole Friedman, Kristi Oppenheim, Tara Russel, and Erica Tennenbaum for Tulane University's Children and Society, a Freshman Writing Seminar taught by Professor April Brayfield. You can view other country profiles created by our classmates to see how the lives of children vary in different regions.