Minister of Education reviews with the head of the Evangelical community in Egypt
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, received today, Dr. Reverend Andre Zaki, head of the Evangelical community in Egypt, and his accompanying delegation; to review the proposal of the "Egyptian Baccalaureate System".
During the meeting, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif reviewed the philosophy behind the proposal of the "Egyptian Baccalaureate System", noting that the ministry launched a series of community dialogue sessions with various parties related to the education system with the aim of clarifying the picture and discussing proposals and opinions on the proposal of the new system.
The Minister explained that the proposal of the Egyptian Baccalaureate Certificate provides more than one opportunity for the student to improve, compared to the current secondary school system that determines the student's future through one opportunity.
He added that the proposed proposal lifts the burden on the student and the Egyptian family due to the huge amount of subjects required for secondary school students compared to other educational systems, explaining that the proposal for the "Egyptian Baccalaureate System" includes four main constants in the foundational stage (second and third secondary grades), which are the first foreign language, the Arabic language, Egyptian history, and religious education.
The minister explained that the inclusion of religious education in the total is based on consolidating religious and moral values and constants among students in light of openness to the world, adding that this will be done according to specific criteria, including specifying a book for Islamic religious education and a book for Christian religious education in coordination and cooperation between the Central Administration for Curriculum Development, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and the Church, so that the topics address the moral approach and values, while adjusting the relative weight of the two books, stressing that the process of correcting exams for this subject will be done electronically.
The Minister continued that the interest in including religious education in the total score is not aimed at exams and evaluation, pointing out that education and ethics are among the basic elements that must complete the educational process, as the role of science does not stop at transferring knowledge and skills, but extends to include shaping the personality and building moral values and positive behaviors, such as honesty, altruism, respect for others, and other values that work to prepare students to be active citizens in society.
For his part, Dr. Reverend Andre Zaki expressed his appreciation for the efforts of Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, in developing the educational process, stressing the support of the Evangelical community in Egypt for the ministry's efforts to build the Egyptian character.
The delegation of the Evangelical community in Egypt appreciated the detailed explanation by Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif about the proposal of the Egyptian Baccalaureate system and the inclusion of religious education in the total score, and the ministry's keenness to hold community dialogue sessions on this proposal, which provides an opportunity for various parties to contribute and cooperate in order to develop the process in Egypt to meet the needs of students and society.
The Evangelical delegation included Dr. Reverend Rafat Fathy, Secretary General of the Evangelical Synod of the Nile, Dr. Reverend Stephanos Zaki, Chairman of the Council of Educational Institutions of the Evangelical Synod of the Nile, Dr. Reverend Maged Karam, Secretary General of Educational Institutions of the Evangelical Synod of the Nile, Mr. Youssef Talaat, Legal Advisor to the Presidency of the Evangelical Sect in Egypt, and Mr. Youssef Edward, Media Director of the Coptic Evangelical Organization.
From the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, Dr. Ayman Bahaa El-Din, Deputy Minister, Dr. Akram Hassan, Assistant Minister for Curriculum Development Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Attia, Head of the Central Administration for Education at Expenses, Mr. Hesham Gaafar, Director General of Private Education, and Dr. Mahmoud Fouad, Director General of Religious Education Development.