Internet to be available at Menfouia’s schools: Official

CAIRO - 25 July 2018: In preparation of the next academic year 2018/19, Schools at Menoufia governorate will be equipped with accessible internet connectivity, Governor of Menoufia, Mahmoud Ashmawy, stated on Tuesday.

In press remarks, Ashmawy said that the Menoufia governorate’s education directorate is currently collaborating with Egypt’s primary telephone company, Telecom Egypt, in this regard, adding: “we are proceeding apace with relevant works to ensure that internet is being provided to all schools and other education entities by the end of August.”

Three months ago, Minister of Education, Tarek Shawki, introduced a comprehensive new system known as the "Education System 2", which is set to be implemented starting next academic year 2018/2019.

The new education system ensures an advanced quality of education to students and does not mainly focus on grades.

On its official Facebook page, the ministry stated Friday that English during the primary years will include advanced vocabulary, such as mathematics and science idioms; however, starting from secondary education, students will be able to study other subjects, such as science, in English instead of Arabic.

“The new curriculum was agreed upon by well-known experts who affirmed that the students will be able to study their subjects in English by their secondary education if they have the needed knowledge and vocabulary, as everything happens gradually when learning any new language,” the ministry stated.

Earlier, a debate arose as a result of announcing that students, especially in the experimental language schools, will not study their subjects in English, and that all of the curricula will be Arabized during the basic education years.

The decision caused anger, especially among middle class citizens, who believe that a step like this could deepen social stratification.

“We recognize that the country has a new vision for developing the education system; however, we don’t think that Arabizing the curriculum of experimental language schools is the right decision for its development. Frankly, we felt anger shortly after knowing the government’s intentions regarding the governmental language schools, which will turn into other ordinary governmental Arabic schools,” Abeer Ahmed, founder of Egypt’s Mothers Association for Education Development, said in a statement issued Tuesday, May 1.