The Minister of Education Holds a Series of Meetings with 4,000 Secondary Education and High School Directors

Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, held a series of extensive meetings today with approximately 4,000 secondary school directors and directors of public and official language secondary schools across the country. The meetings were held at Education City in 6th of October City. The aim was to follow up on the implementation of educational policies and discuss mechanisms for preparing for the new academic year and the Egyptian Baccalaureate system.

These meetings were attended by Dr. Ayman Bahaa El-Din, Deputy Minister; Dr. Ahmed El-Mohammadi, Assistant Minister for Strategic Planning and Follow-up and Head of the Central Administration for Minister's Office Affairs; Mr. Khaled Abdel Hakam, Head of the Central Administration for Examination Affairs; Ms. Nadia Abdullah, Head of the Central Administration for Teacher Affairs; Dr. Hala Abdel Salam, Head of the Central Administration for General Education; and Brigadier General Tarek El-Baz, Head of the Central Administration for Educational Complexes and Centers, in addition to the directors of educational directorates.

During the meeting, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif emphasized that these meetings represent a platform for exchanging views and proposals and discussing new decisions related to the educational process. He noted that "the field is the foundation, and true learning takes place inside the classroom." He explained that the school principal is the cornerstone of the educational process, and that every principal is "a minister within his school."

The Minister emphasized the need to prepare for the new academic year, monitor attendance rates, assessments, and assignments, and not award any student grades without committing to actual attendance. He also emphasized strict implementation of the school discipline regulations.

Regarding teachers, the Minister emphasized that school principals are responsible for filling any shortages within their schools. He noted that the decision issued to schools grants them the right to contract with class teachers, including their participation in examination and monitoring activities. He also stated that retired teachers will be utilized to benefit from their experience and previous contributions, which are valuable in building a strong educational system.

In reviewing the new policies, the Minister explained that regarding the "Egyptian Baccalaureate System," this system was proposed and discussed with the participation of numerous education specialists from the field. It focuses on a smaller number of subjects and provides multiple opportunities for students. He emphasized that the traditional form of high school education relies on a "one-chance system" and a self-determination exam. Therefore, it was necessary to review it in a way that alleviates the psychological pressure and financial burden on Egyptian families.

The Minister also emphasized the need to raise awareness among parents about the "Egyptian Baccalaureate System" and provide them with the academic guidance and support necessary to choose the system most appropriate for their children, which will contribute to enhancing confidence and reducing their psychological anxiety.

The Minister also discussed the changes made to the secondary school curriculum, explaining that the English language curriculum for the secondary school level has undergone comprehensive development, while the remaining curricula have undergone partial development. He noted that secondary school textbooks will be available on the electronic platform from September 5 to 10. The Minister explained that the examination system for the baccalaureate and secondary school certificates is a single system, and that any amendments to the examination system will apply to both systems. He noted that the subjects are the same in both systems, except for the specialized subjects (advanced level) in the third year of the Egyptian Baccalaureate, with a difference of no more than 20%.

He explained that the term "advanced level" for specialized subjects in the third year of the Egyptian Baccalaureate does not imply difficulty, but rather that there will be focused lessons. He emphasized that the implementation of the Egyptian Baccalaureate system aims to facilitate matters for students and parents.

The Minister also addressed the colleges available for each track in the baccalaureate system, emphasizing that there are several colleges shared between the four tracks, allowing students to enroll in several colleges in other tracks.

The Minister emphasized that the learning outcomes of the two systems are consistent, and that the baccalaureate system provides a better educational system, fewer study materials, and multiple examination opportunities.

Regarding international recognition of the Egyptian Baccalaureate, the Minister confirmed that the certificate is internationally recognized, just like the General Secondary Certificate, and that the Ministry is seeking to have it accredited by international bodies following implementation, eliminating the need for equivalency procedures if some students wish to enroll in universities abroad.

Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif called on students and parents to obtain all information from the Ministry of Education's official platforms as part of the awareness campaign about the system. He also called on them to participate in awareness seminars offered directly by the directorates, educational administrations, and schools to parents and not rely on any external sources to inquire about the system, lest they receive inaccurate information.

Regarding preparations for the new school year, the Minister stressed the importance of completing maintenance and equipment work in schools before the start of the school year, including painting classrooms and walls, planting trees, and improving the school environment. He emphasized that the goal is to provide a clean and safe environment that fosters student loyalty.

The Minister also emphasized the importance of maintaining cleanliness outside and around schools, and enhancing coordination with governors and district heads to remove any encroachments.

Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif also stressed the need to work within schools to promote the values ​​of loyalty and belonging among students.

In this regard, the Minister praised an initiative in Assiut Governorate aimed at fostering a sense of loyalty and belonging, calling for its expansion across all governorates to improve the image of work and instill a sense of belonging among students.

In another context, the Minister emphasized the inclusion of programming and artificial intelligence as an extracurricular subject for first-year secondary school students starting from the new academic year. He noted that programming is the language of the age, and that the Ministry has developed a comprehensive program in cooperation with Japan to prepare a generation capable of designing digital platforms and integrating into the global labor market.

In this context, the Minister explained that the subject will be taught via the "Koiro" platform, which is under Japanese supervision. Through this platform, theoretical study and practical application will be conducted with the assistance of teachers in schools.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Minister indicated that the Quality and Measurement Unit will play a pivotal role in monitoring performance in secondary schools through clear mechanisms for evaluation and quality assurance. He emphasized that involving teachers with accumulated experience in the evaluation process will constitute a real addition to raising the efficiency of the education system and transferring expertise to new educational leaders. It will also have a significant impact on improving performance in schools.

He explained that these experts will visit and evaluate each school, according to precise criteria that ensure fairness and transparency in evaluation.

The series of meetings witnessed extensive discussion of all the details related to preparations for the new academic year and the implementation of the Egyptian Baccalaureate system.