The Minister of Education and the French Ambassador inspect the Holy Family School "Jesuit" in Cairo
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, in the presence of Ambassador Eric Chevalier, Ambassador of France in Cairo, visited the Holy Family School to inspect the progress of the educational process there.
The Minister of Education and the French Ambassador were accompanied during their visit by Mr. Daniel Regnot, Educational Cooperation Attaché at the French Embassy, Mr. Frank Torres, French Language Cooperation Attaché at the French Institute, Ms. Manal Jundi, Education Sector Assistant at the French Institute, and Father Roman Amin, Director of the Holy Family School "Jesuit".
The Minister of Education and the French Ambassador attended the morning assembly and the flag salute. Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif also delivered a speech in which he expressed his happiness to be at the Holy Family School in Cairo, which represents a distinguished educational edifice, whose roots go back a century and a half, until it became a milestone in the history of education, and a symbol of purposeful education that blends authenticity and modernity.
The Minister stressed the depth of Egyptian-French relations; The two friendly countries are linked by geographical, historical, civilizational and cultural ties, noting that these distinguished relations have witnessed tangible development since President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi - President of the Arab Republic of Egypt - assumed office, based on a common political will from both sides.
The Minister also stressed that the cultural relations between Egypt and France are characterized by a long history of cooperation and positive interaction that contributed to enhancing mutual understanding between the two friendly countries and peoples, and culture played a pivotal role in building bridges of communication between them, and these relations continue today, through joint cultural initiatives such as French language education programs, student exchanges, and holding art exhibitions, in addition to the participation of Egyptian cultural institutions in French cultural events, as these successful partnerships between the two countries reflect their commitment to promoting civilizational dialogue and preserving cultural heritage.
Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif added: “Since their inception in Egypt, French schools have played a prominent role in promoting culture and spreading education in the French language, while preserving national identity and paying attention to cultural and human values that reflect diversity, openness, and deep interaction between the two cultures. Generations with a global vision have graduated from them, and they represent a successful model of fruitful educational, educational, and cultural cooperation, which has contributed to creating an educational environment that enriches students with multiple cultural experiences and sharpens constructive critical thinking.” The Minister added that the Holy Family Schools are a prominent model for French schools in Egypt, as they contribute tangibly to promoting culture and spreading the French language, in addition to pioneering educational contributions, which allows for combining the quality of education with the development of national identity, enhancing cultural communication, values of tolerance and understanding among students, encouraging them to think critically and creatively and making them more respectful and accepting of the culture of others, praising the graduates of these schools and their successes in their practical lives over 145 years, calling on students to continue the path of learning, diligence, excellence, respecting their teachers, and investing in new opportunities for insight, knowledge, creativity, and self-discovery.
At the end of his speech, the Minister expressed his thanks and appreciation to the French Embassy, and everyone who contributed to laying a brick in this ancient educational edifice, and to the distinguished school administration, and the competent faculty members who presented an honorable model of dedication and loyalty, wishing them more success and prosperity.
For his part, Eric Chevalier, the French Ambassador to Cairo, expressed his happiness with this visit, stressing that it is an opportunity to strengthen relations between the embassy and the Ministry of Education, and to enhance the existing cooperation between them.
The French Ambassador stressed that the Holy Family School is one of the oldest French schools in Egypt, having been established 145 years ago, and provides distinguished education that qualifies students to study three languages with high quality, noting that students master Arabic, French and English upon graduation, and sometimes other languages such as Spanish, and others.
The French Ambassador also stressed the continuation of providing support to all French schools in Egypt, which he is keen to visit regularly, and working to support educational initiatives and cultural exchange programs, in a way that benefits the school community.
For his part, Father Romany Amin, the school’s director, welcomed the attendees, pointing out that the Holy Family School, also known as the Jesuit School, aims to raise its students in a comprehensive manner that enables them to serve their community and open up to the world around them culturally, scientifically and humanely. He pointed out that the school is one of 3,730 schools in which two and a half million students from all over the world study, in addition to 189 universities and specialized institutes worldwide. The school principal added that the Holy Family School presents its message that falls within the framework of Egypt’s policy that places the human being before any other consideration among its educational and national priorities. This is specifically the school’s first message, which is to form effective elements in society, characterized by academic competence, integrity of conscience, and honesty of commitment. He explained that these educational principles, which place the person at the center of education and upbringing, are translated on multiple levels within the framework of the school day, including the use of renewable educational methods, tools, styles, and means in the digital age in which we and our children live. It also aims to discover the mental abilities of students so that they are able to analyze, understand, criticize, make decisions, and innovate.
The school principal added that the Holy Family School presents its message that falls within the framework of Egypt's policy that places the human being before any other consideration among its educational and national priorities, and this is specifically the school's first message, which is to form effective elements in society, characterized by academic competence, integrity of conscience, and honesty of commitment, explaining that these educational principles, which place the person at the center of education and upbringing, are translated on multiple levels within the framework of the school day, including the use of renewable educational methods, tools, styles and means in the digital age in which we and our children live, as it aims to discover the mental abilities of students to be able to analyze, understand, criticize, make decisions and innovate.
During the visit of the Minister of Education and the French Ambassador to the school, a number of the school's students reviewed the classroom and extracurricular activities, from cultural trips, training camps, and the annual bicycle trip, in addition to scientific trips. The charitable works carried out by the school's students in serving the community were also reviewed.
The Minister praised the students' presentation and the activities they do, and commended their performance in the presentation. He also talked to them about their aspirations for the future, and told them, "You are a shining example for the students and you have a great responsibility in building the nation."
During the visit, the Minister of Education and the French Ambassador inspected the school library, which contains ancient books, including the book "Description of Egypt" and some stones dating back to different eras.
The Minister and the French Ambassador also inspected a number of the school's classes for the secondary and preparatory stages, and followed the teachers' explanations during history, science, and mathematics classes. They also inspected an exhibition containing students' artwork, drawings, books on Arabic calligraphy, clay works, origami, and drawing on glass and copper.