The Minister of Education continues to discuss the details of the draft amendment to the Education Law
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, continued today, Wednesday, to present the details of the draft amendment to the Education Law before the House of Representatives' Education and Scientific Research Committee.
This was attended by Counselor Mahmoud Fawzy, Minister of Parliamentary, Legal Affairs, and Political Communication; Dr. Sami Hashem, Chairman of the House of Representatives' Education and Scientific Research Committee; Dr. Magda Bakry, Deputy Chairman of the Education and Scientific Research Committee; Representative Ihab El-Tamawy, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives' Legislative Committee; and Dr. Mustafa Refaat, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Universities.
The Ministry of Education also included Dr. Ahmed Daher, Deputy Minister of Education; Dr. Ahmed El-Mohammadi, Assistant Minister for Strategic Planning and Follow-up and Supervisor of the Central Administration for Minister's Office Affairs; Counselor Ashraf El-Sayed, Legal Advisor to the Ministry; and Mr. Walid Maher, Director of the General Administration for Political Communication and Parliamentary Affairs.
Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif emphasized that free education is a right guaranteed by the constitution and the law and is not open to discussion or negotiation. He added that the current secondary school system remains unchanged, as does the Egyptian Baccalaureate system, including the first exam attempt. The only cost-related component is the improvement cost for successful students (the optional second exam opportunity) for those students who wish to take it. This is intended to ensure continuity regarding the logistical costs associated with implementing improvement tests. He emphasized the exemption of disadvantaged groups from these fees, which are already exempted annually from tuition fees each academic year.
The Minister pointed out that providing an improvement opportunity for successful students (the second exam opportunity) in the Egyptian Baccalaureate system decisively ends the pressure of a single opportunity that determines a student's future.
Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif continued that the Ministry conducted a comprehensive community dialogue on the Egyptian Baccalaureate with all stakeholders in the education system, including experts, former ministers, representatives, media and press representatives, school principals, teachers, parents, and other relevant stakeholders.
The Minister also addressed the article in the draft amendment to the law related to ensuring that teachers do not retire before the end of the school year, noting that this article is an important point that represents appreciation for teachers who have devoted their utmost efforts to educating successive generations.
He explained that the articles in the draft amendment to the Education Law related to technological secondary education aim to regulate the work of applied technology schools and ensure their continued development and expansion, noting that they represent the future of technical education in Egypt.
He also emphasized that the Ministry does not intend, through the draft amendment to grant the Minister of Education absolute powers, emphasizing that the Ministry is open to any proposals that would lead to a consensus.
During the session, the representatives discussed the citizen's constitutional right to free education and the nature of the educational programs and systems provided by the Ministry, as stated in one of the articles in the draft amendment to the law. They also discussed the nature of the cost the Ministry will bear for implementing the Egyptian Baccalaureate system and the mechanisms for its implementation.
During the session, Dr. Sami Hashem stressed that the Education and Scientific Research Committee is keen to cooperate constructively with the government in studying the draft laws referred to it, in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Constitution and serving the interests of society. He added that the committee is working to reach a legislative formula that achieves a balance between the requirements of the state and the needs of citizens, based on its belief in the importance of supporting everything that achieves the public interest of the nation's citizens. In this context, the Minister affirmed his keenness to cooperate closely with Parliament to ensure that the draft law is presented in the best possible manner.