Minister of Education Receives UNFPA Resident Representative
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, today received Mr. Yves Sassenrath, UNFPA Resident Representative in Egypt, and Ms. Germaine Haddad, Assistant UNFPA Resident Representative, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two sides in the fields of education, population awareness, and youth empowerment. This is within the framework of the Egyptian state's strategic orientation towards investing in human capital and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Ministry of Education was represented by Dr. Iman Hassan, Head of the Central Administration for Student Activities; Dr. Hanem Ahmed, Advisor to the Minister for International Relations; Ms. Amira Awad, Ministry Coordinator for International Relations; and Dr. Wasfi Hakim, Expert at the Central Administration for Curriculum Development.
At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif expressed his appreciation for the fruitful cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), noting that the Ministry attaches great importance to population awareness and reproductive health issues in school curricula and student activities, contributing to building an informed community awareness among new generations.
The Minister emphasized that the Ministry has achieved tangible steps in this area, including the inclusion of the concepts of population growth, reproductive health, equality issues, and girls' empowerment within activities and curricula, in cooperation with relevant authorities. Awareness campaigns have also been implemented in schools, and teachers have been trained to integrate these issues into the educational process.
The Minister added that this cooperation reflects the Egyptian government's commitment to strengthening partnerships with international institutions to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development. He also valued the technical support provided by UNFPA in developing educational programs targeting youth.
For his part, Yves Sassenrath, UNFPA Resident Representative, emphasized the Fund's pride in the ongoing cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, which represents a successful model of partnership between government institutions and international organizations to support human development issues.
The UNFPA Resident Representative praised the Ministry's efforts to integrate population awareness and reproductive health concepts into the educational process, stressing the Fund's readiness to enhance cooperation in line with the priorities of the Egyptian state and the United Nations Sustainable Development Strategy.
During the meeting, areas of cooperation between the Ministry and UNFPA were reviewed, including the integration of comprehensive reproductive health and population concepts into the education system through the development of a curriculum framework and the integration of population messages and issues. Artistic and sports activities were also implemented for students, educating them on the importance of population concepts and reproductive health through theatrical techniques and the use of sports activities to promote the fight against gender-based violence. UNFPA also supported the establishment of model training centers for teachers and students, in line with the National Strategy for the Development of the Egyptian Family.
The meeting also addressed opportunities to enhance future cooperation between the Ministry and UNFPA in the areas of supporting educational activities related to reproductive health, developing life skills for students, empowering girls, and developing the capacities of teachers and supervisors. The meeting also explored the possibility of expanding joint educational programs at the governorate level.
The meeting also discussed areas of cooperation, including youth support and the involvement of school theater in population issues. The meeting also addressed expanding the Noura initiative, which targets families and local communities, as well as services for adolescent girls, through awareness sessions on health, nutrition, gender roles, reproductive health, savings, financial literacy, decision-making, and negotiation skills.