The Minister of Education receives the Director General of the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO)
Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, received Dr. Mohamed Ould Omar, Director General of the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and his accompanying delegation. To discuss ways of cooperation in the field of supporting strategies for developing pre-university education in Egypt, and to enhance the exchange of experiences between member states.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Reda Hegazy expressed his happiness at the fruitful and constructive cooperation with the organization, appreciating the role it plays in supporting the efforts of member states in their areas of specialization, and their keenness to contribute to the development of educational strategies.
The minister explained that reforming education is a state responsibility, stressing that the Egyptian state is keen to develop the education sector, noting that the Ministry of Education includes 25 and a half million students in Egyptian schools, and thus it is responsible for raising an entire generation and preparing it for the future, noting that jobs are no longer fixed. There are jobs that will disappear in the future, so the Ministry is interested in preparing its students with life skills that help them develop themselves and prepare them to search for job opportunities in the future. The Ministry is also interested in the socialization and personal aspects of students, preparing students in their early years, as well as paying attention to teaching values and behaviors.
The Minister pointed out that in light of the future of education in light of digital transformation and artificial intelligence, the Ministry is working to prepare the student to produce knowledge in light of the multiple sources of learning, as he is provided with major concepts and learned through active learning sources and school activities, adding that the role of the teacher is changing to become an organizer and guide. It is a component of the educational process, in addition to the Ministry’s keenness to preserve the humanization of education and emotional and moral values.
Dr. Reda Hegazy continued, stressing the importance of research projects carried out by students, which contribute greatly to developing their various abilities and behaviors such as cooperation, teamwork, problem solving, critical and creative thinking, presentation skills, sensing and identifying problems, working to develop solutions to them, self-learning and perseverance, indicating that these skills It will stay with the students in their lives and help them succeed in the future
Dr. Reda Hegazy reviewed the Ministry’s efforts to reform education in Egypt, stressing that the Ministry made great efforts in developing education, as curricula were developed from the first grade of kindergarten (KG1) to the sixth grade of primary school, based on major concepts, cross-curricula, values, and respect for others. and Discovery, stressing that Egypt has a pioneering experience in developing education, and welcomes cooperation with other countries to exchange experiences in this field.
Dr. Reda Hegazy continued that the preparatory stage curricula have also been developed, which will be implemented starting from the next academic year 2024/2025, stressing that the ultimate goal that is being focused on is the quality of life of students and their families, and entrepreneurship is intersecting in all curricula.
The Minister added that the Ministry is keen to treat weak basic skills in reading and writing to reduce educational loss through diagnostic and remedial programmes. The Ministry is also working to treat problems of linguistic duality when learning the Arabic language.
Dr. Reda Hegazy stressed that teachers are the driving force for learning, pointing to the role of the Professional Academy for Teachers through achieving three strategic goals represented in methods of promotion for teachers, coordination between colleges of education and schools, in addition to adopting professional development programs, with its three elements, which are the trainer, the training place, and the training packages. Pointing out that there is now a precise mechanism for selecting new teachers.
The Minister pointed out the Ministry's keenness to keep pace with modern technology and exploit it in developing the educational system as one of the most important mechanisms it focuses on in parallel with developing all other aspects of the system, stressing the Ministry's experience in automating exams and question banks.
The Minister of Education also reviewed the mechanisms adopted by the Ministry. To provide an integrated system of services for people with special needs and provide all means of support for them, including the Rehabilitation Center for People with Special Needs in 10th of Ramadan City, which takes into account all international standards. The Ministry is working on developing an executive plan to expand the scope of the services provided by it until its services reach the Middle East region
The Minister also stressed that all Egypt’s schools are inclusive, meaning that every student with a disability has a place in Egypt’s schools, adding that classes have been allocated for people with multiple and double disabilities, and teachers have been trained in this field, in addition to the issuance of many ministerial decisions that support students’ educational path and the preparation of curricula. New ones to help integrate them more into society.
Regarding the issue of illiteracy in Egypt, the Minister stressed that there is a close relationship between the level of education, the level of childbearing, and population increase, as increasing the level of education works to reduce population increase, pointing to the role of the Regional Center for Adult Education in Surs Al-Lyan, which is a second category center affiliated with UNESCO, It is considered one of 12 accredited centers in the world, and the Ministry seeks through this center to provide regional activities that serve the entire region.
The Minister also added that the General Department of Support and Communication was created to develop awareness of the Ministry’s efforts and correct some paths for the various sectors.
During the meeting, the Minister stressed the Ministry's readiness to exchange and transfer its experiences to other countries in the field of pre-university education.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Ould Omar, Director General of the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), expressed his happiness with this meeting and fruitful and multiple cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Education, praising the Egyptian education system, stressing that the Egyptian experience in education must be at the head of the Arab locomotive. Due to the capabilities and experience you possess in this regard.
Dr. Mohamed Ould Omar stressed the organization’s keenness to continue fruitful cooperation with the Arab Republic of Egypt in the fields of education, culture and science, noting that the organization is primarily concerned with the advancement of Arab culture through developing the fields of education, culture and science at the regional and national levels and coordination among the Arab member states.
He stressed that the organization's priorities at this stage are to create a generation that anticipates the future, and it is working to increase allocations to this sector to develop human resources and create this generation, especially since children now spend most of their time in front of the Internet, in a way that differs from the previous generation, whose source of information was limited to the teacher and the school.
Dr. Mohamed Ould Omar also stressed the importance of coordination with member states to unify visions and achieve rapprochement regarding science and mathematics curricula and exchange experiences to serve the younger generation in various Arab countries.
Dr. Mohamed Ould Omar continued, stressing the importance of confronting the phenomenon of illiteracy in various Arab countries, as well as digital illiteracy, expressing the organization’s keenness to cooperate with the Egyptian Ministry of Education in this regard because of its great experience and the great efforts it has made in this regard.
The meeting was attended by the delegation of the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), Dr. Sami Al-Zyoud, Director of the Administrative and Financial Affairs Department, Dr. Rami Iskandar, Director of the Education Department, Dr. Mohamed Kamal, Director of the Arab Research and Studies Institute, Ms. Nisreen Ghoneim, External Relations Officer, and Ms. Dina Al-Qalini Office. General Director.
Dr. Sherif Saleh, Secretary-General of the Committee, attended from the National Committee for Education, Science and Culture.
On the part of the Ministry, Dr. Sherine Hamdy, Advisor to the Minister for International Relations and Agreements and Supervisor of the Central Administration for the Affairs of the Minister’s Office, Dr. Eid Abdel Wahed, Head of the Executive Body of the General Authority for Literacy and Adult Education, Dr. Akram Hassan, Head of the Central Administration for Curriculum Development, and Dr. Hala Abdel Salam, Head of the Administration, attended. The Central Education Center for Basic Education, Dr. Muhammad Al-Qadi, Director of the Regional Center for Adult Education in Sirs Al-Layan, and Dr. Mahmoud Hajjaj, General Director of the Support and Communication Department.