Minister of Education: The Ministry is fully prepared to implement the baccalaureate, and secondary schools

Responding to inquiries from members of parliament regarding the Egyptian baccalaureate system, during his participation in the House of Representatives' plenary session, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, confirmed that the ministry is fully prepared to implement the system. He explained that secondary schools are equipped to the highest standards in terms of infrastructure and technological equipment, based on what was observed during field visits.

Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif added that schools are equipped with modern laboratories, strong internet networks, and surveillance cameras have been installed. However, the real challenge in recent years has been the poor attendance and regularity of students in schools. He added that the ministry has succeeded this year in bringing first and second year secondary school students back to school regularly, emphasizing that implementing the baccalaureate system will significantly contribute to attracting students and motivating them to commit to attendance.

Regarding the details of the baccalaureate system, the Minister explained that students study general subjects in the first year of secondary school, as is currently the case. Specialization begins with the transition to the second year of secondary school, where students choose one of four main tracks: medicine and life sciences, engineering and computing, business, and literature and arts. Students can transfer between tracks by changing only two subjects. Four core subjects remain constant for all students in all majors: Arabic, a first foreign language, Egyptian history, and religious education, in addition to three specialized subjects depending on the track chosen by the student.

The Minister emphasized that the basic philosophy of this system is based on granting students the freedom to choose their future, free from the pressure associated with the "one-chance" system. He explained that students will be able to take the exam more than once to achieve the level that qualifies them to enroll in the college of their choice.

Regarding religious education, the Minister emphasized that the Ministry refuses to treat the subject as less important than other subjects. He noted that allocating 70% of the grade for passing the subject is a confirmation of its importance, saying, "We do not want to instill in our students that religious education is a marginal subject. Rather, we believe it is one of the most important subjects."

Continuing his comment on religious education, the Minister of Education explained that during the presentation of the "Egyptian Baccalaureate" project in community dialogue sessions, which included various segments of society, it was agreed that the subject would be excluded from the total.

The Minister emphasized that this situation has negatively impacted students' interest in it, as it is only studied the night before the exam and does not receive the same level of attention as other core subjects.

The Minister indicated that the Ministry aims to enhance students' interest in religious education, given its importance in instilling moral values ​​and positive behaviors. He noted that the new curricula for religious education are characterized by simplicity and clarity, and are not as complex as some might think. Rather, they aim to build the student's character from a moral and religious perspective.

The Minister emphasized the need to elevate the status of this subject. Therefore, a decision was made to make passing the Religious Education course conditional on achieving a minimum grade of 70%, reflecting the seriousness of this subject and enhancing its role in developing values ​​among students.

Regarding teachers, the Minister of Education emphasized that Egypt's teachers are among the best in the world, possessing high academic and cultural competence.

He explained that when he assumed office, the number of teachers stood at 843,000, while the teacher shortage was estimated at approximately 469,000, which necessitated the development of technical solutions to address this challenge. He noted that no classroom this academic year has been without a teacher for a core subject.

He emphasized that the Ministry is implementing ongoing training programs in cooperation with specialized international organizations to qualify teachers according to the latest global educational systems.

Regarding technical education, the Minister emphasized that it represents Egypt's future in the next phase, noting that the Ministry is paying special attention to this sector by expanding the establishment of applied technology schools in cooperation with the private sector and international companies. He also noted that cooperation protocols have been signed with a number of international partners, including Italy, Japan, and Germany, in the field of vocational training, with the aim of preparing technical cadres trained according to international standards, who meet the needs of the local and global labor market.