Minister of Education reviews with officials of the International Baccalaureate and Cognia Foundation opportunities to enhance cooperation
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, received today Mr. Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the International Baccalaureate, and Dr. Kim Hussein, Senior Vice President of International Regions, Global Strategy and Development at Cognia Foundation, to discuss opportunities to enhance cooperation with the aim of expanding IB schools in Egypt and providing accreditation and evaluation services to schools.
At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif welcomed the attendees, praising the fruitful cooperation with the International Baccalaureate and Cognia, stressing that the International Baccalaureate Diploma enjoys a prestigious position in Egypt and has achieved success that has led to the expansion of these schools in various governorates, in addition to the educational programs offered by the International Baccalaureate system, which consists of four educational programs covering all age groups from 3 to 19 years, namely the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP), the Diploma Program (DP), and the Vocational Education Program (CP).
The Minister also valued the cooperation with Cognia in providing accreditation and evaluation services to schools based on specific and clear standards to ensure the quality of education, stressing the importance of enhancing cooperation in a way that contributes to the exchange of experiences and knowledge, and the advancement of the educational process.
For his part, Mr. Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the International Baccalaureate, expressed his happiness with the cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, and the Authority's commitment to supporting the Ministry's efforts in development to achieve the best results, and expand the number of government IB schools.
For his part, Dr. Kim Hussein, Senior Vice President for International Regions, Global Strategy and Development at Cognia, praised the efforts of Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif in developing the educational process in Egypt, and the successes achieved on the ground in facing many challenges in a short period, and stressed the role of the Foundation in maintaining the sustainability of programs and professional development.
The meeting discussed opportunities for cooperation with the Ministry in light of the agreement between the International Baccalaureate and Cognia, which focuses on cooperation to improve evaluation and re-accreditation processes for the benefit of their affiliated schools, and the possibility of establishing a regional office for the International Baccalaureate in Egypt to support schools wishing to offer IB programs, and facilitate communication between schools in the region and the International Baccalaureate Organization, which ensures the exchange of best practices, as well as the expansion of government baccalaureate schools.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Adrian Kearney, Director of International Baccalaureate Schools, and Dr. Kawthar Saad El-Din, Director of Development and Accreditation of the International Baccalaureate in Egypt.
From the Cognia Foundation, Mr. Lody Van Broekhuizen, the Foundation's International Ambassador, attended.
From the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, Ms. Iman Sabry, Assistant Minister for Special Education Affairs, Ms. Sherine Hamdy, Advisor to the Minister for International Relations and Agreements and Supervisor of the Central Administration for the Minister's Office Affairs, Dr. Rasha El-Geoushy, Ministry Coordinator for Academic Affairs for International Schools, and Ms. Amira Awad, Ministry Coordinator for United Nations Organizations.