The Minister of Education discusses with the Italian ambassador in Cairo aspects of joint cooperation

Teaching the Italian language, starting from the first grade of middle school, in government schools within the second foreign languages for the academic year 2024/2025

Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, received Michele Quaroni, Ambassador of Italy in Cairo, and his accompanying delegation, to discuss strengthening joint efforts in the field of developing pre-university education, and ways to benefit from Italian expertise in developing technical education and achieving sustainable development.

Dr. Reda Hegazy affirmed that Egypt and Italy have a long history of strategic relations, stressing keenness on fruitful cooperation and continuous coordination with the Italian side in the field of education development.

The minister also praised the cooperation between Egypt and Italy in the field of education, especially technical education, due to its long history represented in the “Don Bosco” schools, in addition to the integrated technological education complexes such as Fayoum and Abu Ghaleb in Giza, among others.

The minister expressed his appreciation for the Italian side's confidence in the Applied Technology Schools project, due to its effective role in achieving economic development through qualifying trained technical workers and qualifying young people for the labor market.

For his part, Michel Quaroni, Ambassador of Italy in Cairo, expressed his happiness with this meeting, praising the joint projects that have been achieved between the two sides, especially in the field of technical and technological education, such as the “Don Bosco” school, stressing the continuation of cooperation in implementing joint scientific projects between the two countries.

The Italian ambassador stressed his great interest in spreading the Italian language, which greatly contributes to spreading the culture of the two countries.

In this context, it was agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding to teach the Italian language as an optional language within the framework of the second foreign languages that will be taught starting from the first grade of middle school in government schools for the academic year 2024-2025, as this comes within the framework of the plan to develop the curricula of the middle school stage, which will include an addition The second foreign language for subjects in public schools, provided that the choice is made between several languages, including French, German and Italian.

The Italian side also reviewed the allocation of a number of annual scholarships for teachers and mentors of the Italian language for training in the latest methods of teaching in Italy, and preparing trainers for the Italian language in coordination with the Ministry of Education, in addition to providing scholarships for students who excel in the Italian language to encourage them to continue studying the subject, and supplying school libraries. With educational books and various sources appropriate to their ages and the Egyptian culture.

The meeting also discussed increasing aspects of cooperation between the two sides through the expansion of the applied technology schools project, and training teachers who teach the Italian language in “Don Bosco” schools, as these schools are among the distinguished industrial technical schools in the field of technical education. Fayoum Hotel School and the expansion of this distinguished educational model.

The meeting was attended on the Italian side by Chiara Saulelli, Italian Consul, Pietro Facante Berco, Deputy Italian Ambassador, Martino Milli, President of the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, David Scalmani, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, Annalisa Wagner, Educational Attache at the Embassy, Omar Alyan, Attache for Immigration Affairs, and from the Ministry of Education, Dr. Muhammad Megahed, Deputy Minister of Education for Technical Education Affairs, Dr. Sherine Hamdy, Advisor to the Minister for Administrative Development and Supervisor of the Central Administration for the Affairs of the Minister’s Office, Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education Development and Director of the Operation and Management Unit of Applied Technology Schools, and Dr. Akram Hassan, Head of the Central Administration For curriculum development, and Naglaa Zakaria, the Italian language consultant.