The Minister of Education witnesses the launch of a workshop on “Enhancing Reading and Writing Skills
Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, witnessed a workshop on “Enhancing Reading and Writing Skills: A Short to Medium-Term Action Plan,” which the Ministry is organizing in cooperation with the World Bank, during October 22 and 23, 2023.
In his speech, Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, stressed the importance of this workshop, which comes as a continuation of the Ministry’s efforts to develop the educational system, which began in 2018 by developing the curricula for kindergarten and the first grade of primary school, then continuing the development until the sixth grade of primary school this year. Pointing out that education is a participatory and collaborative responsibility.
The Minister indicated that it was necessary to conduct an evaluation process to determine the extent to which the desired goals of development were achieved, and to know the obstacles that prevented these goals from being fully achieved, so the national and international assessments of reading after the Corona pandemic revealed some weaknesses in reading and writing among our students in the stage. Primary school education, identifying some educational gaps and monitoring their causes and manifestations as a beginning to develop a road map to fill those gaps, and define procedural steps to deal with this problem.
The Minister pointed out that the Education Transformation Summit had issued results on the educational loss worldwide, which represents 70% of students who are not proficient in reading and writing in middle-income countries.
The minister added that language represents the vessel of thought, and if we do not have a language we cannot think, saying that poor reading and writing is the mother of all difficulties, as reading affects the student’s understanding of the rest of the subjects he studies, and it also leads to dropping out of education, and the student’s weak self-confidence, in addition to Weak social relationships.
The Minister confirmed that the Ministry has new curricula developed at the highest level, which are Egyptian curricula with international standards, noting that the National Center for Examinations and Educational Evaluation prepared a national study, the results of which were that 30% of children in Egypt are below the level in reading and writing.
Dr. Reda Hegazy pointed out the need to pay attention to the problem of poor reading and writing among primary school students, and the need to move quickly to treat this problem, adding that it stems from the importance of reading and writing in the learner’s life inside and outside of school, saying: “Weak reading affects the process of effective communication for the learner with... His social environment also affects his connection to ancient and modern sources of knowledge, and also affects his continuation of the learning process. Without it, the learner cannot comprehend the various academic subjects, as he loses his enthusiasm for continuing the learning process, and thus finds it difficult to face the burdens of life afterwards.
The minister added that reading helps in self-development, builds and enhances a person's self-confidence, and also helps him make appropriate decisions and take better actions regarding his life and future.
Dr. Reda Hegazy stressed that confronting this problem requires concerted efforts, everyone’s cooperation, and their sustained commitment, starting with the family, passing through the school, the media, civil society, the business community, all other ministries, and all those concerned with the educational process.
He pointed out that the success of any project is based on adherence to a plan through which the difficulty is diagnosed and the school principal implements it in the school with the help of the ministry after giving him the necessary tools and training.
He continued that the topic of this workshop is to enhance reading and writing skills to come up with short and medium-term action plans and applicable steps to be a step towards treating the problem of poor reading and writing among some of our children, pointing out that ensuring the success of any project depends on the belief of those in charge of it in its importance and seriousness, and its impact on people. The individual and society in all aspects, and this will not be achieved unless all officials meet for consultation to determine what should be done and adhere to the plan that will be agreed upon. That is why we were keen to have with us in this workshop all those concerned with reading and writing, starting with planning, and ending with evaluation from those responsible for curriculum planning. Its formulation, implementation, and evaluation include those responsible for teacher training, representatives of colleges of education, kindergarten colleges, the Supreme Council of Universities, the Education Sector Committee, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
At the conclusion of his speech, the Minister expressed his hope that, at the end of this workshop, a set of clear and quick procedures and recommendations would be reached, through which this problem could be addressed, expressing his thanks to all the participants in this workshop and all parties that contribute to its success.
During the first session of the workshop, entitled “Paving the Way: What Evaluation Data Tell Us,” Dr. Aiden Clerkin from the World Bank reviewed Egypt’s main results in reading, mathematics, and science, through the PIRLS and TIMSS tests, which are two of the largest studies in the world on educational achievement, providing data High quality and reliable.
During the first session of the workshop, entitled “Paving the Way: What Evaluation Data Tell Us,” Dr. Aiden Clerkin from the World Bank reviewed Egypt’s main results in reading, mathematics, and science, through the PIRLS and TIMSS tests, which are two of the largest studies in the world on educational achievement, providing data High quality and reliable.
Aiden Clerkin explained that TIMSS is an international test applied by the Qiyas Center, in cooperation with the international organizations supervising it, in more than 60 countries, to measure trends in student achievement in mathematics and science, and to study the differences between educational systems in those countries, to improve the teaching and learning process. It is held every 6 years, to obtain comprehensive data on the concepts and attitudes that students have learned in the two subjects, in the fourth grades of primary school and the second grade of middle school, and to compare the relative effects of teaching and learning in the two grades, by testing the same students in the fourth grade and then testing them 4 years later when they are in the second grade of middle school. .
He added that PIRLS is a study of international progress in reading, and represents an international study held every 5 years, which includes a test that measures the accumulation of reading skills acquired by fourth-grade students in public and private schools and the language of instruction and compares them to the abilities of their peers in other countries participating in this study.
Aydin pointed out that Egypt participated in those pirls reading tests, which were conducted during the years from 2016 to 2021, and half of the students obtained a measure of less than low from 10-year-old children who cannot read and understand a simple story, “Learning Poverty (Reading Skills). ), while a quarter of the students scored low, and a small group achieved the advanced level. As for the Timss tests for students up to 14 years old, Egypt is considered to be at the intermediate level.
Aydin added that the “Covid-19” pandemic negatively affected all countries of the world, and schools were closed (for varying periods across countries) and distance learning took place, as paper learning turned into digital learning, and Egypt witnessed a boom during that period in education, noting that Reading skill is crucial for learning on a broader scale to learn the rest of the sciences such as mathematics, science, and social studies, stressing that Egyptian students are moving in the right direction, as fourth grade students showed a significant increase in reading skills, despite the Covid pandemic, and second grade middle school students improved in Both mathematics and science but standards can still be improved significantly.
In his speech, Dr. Akram Hassan, Head of the Central Administration for Curriculum Development, explained that the problem of students’ poor level of reading and writing skills is one of the problems with complex causes, some of which are related to the social environment of the child in the first years of his life, and some of which are related to linguistic duality and the discrepancy between colloquial and classical vocabulary. In addition to the distortion of the language with foreign vocabulary that has no linguistic origins, and other reasons related to the methods of learning the language and the educational materials used in teaching it, and many other reasons that combined to cause this problem, he pointed out that one of the negative effects resulting from it is children dropping out of schools.
The head of the Central Administration for Curriculum Development reviewed some facts about the problem of students’ poor reading and writing skills, saying: “In 2017, the political leadership adopted the issue of education and its development as one of the basic pillars on which the new republic is based, and in 2018 this interest crystallized in the launch of the development process in All pillars of the educational process, including educational curricula and the qualitative shift that has occurred in this field.”
Dr. Akram Hassan added that it was necessary, after the curriculum development process reached the sixth grade of primary school for this year 2023/2024, for the curriculum development process to continue more vigorously by utilizing evaluation studies with all their tools for the previous stage of development, and keeping pace with the major changes that have occurred in the few years. The past, such as the tremendous progress in the fields of information and communications technology, the boom in artificial intelligence applications, and global trends towards education in the coming decades in light of international calls for the dangers that are now threatening life on planet Earth, which necessitates a move to expand the concepts of environmental education. To protect the capabilities of living on the surface of the planet, in addition to taking care of life skills in light of the severe and continuous change in the quality of current jobs and the expectations that this change will continue to a different and unpredictable reality, and issues of a local nature such as the population issue and reproductive health and the negative impact of uncontrolled population increase on the quality of services. And demographic characteristics.
The head of the Central Administration for Curriculum Development explained that for this reason, the vision was to form a national committee of curriculum experts with the help of distinguished international expertise in this field to complete the process, pointing out the Ministry’s direction in the next stage to pay attention to quality rather than quantity, highlighting the main concepts and paying attention to learning outcomes and what they achieve. Of practices and activities, and attention to modern skills that are indispensable in empowering students to prepare them well to face the waves of rapid changes in all aspects of life.
Dr. Akram Hassan continued that the curriculum has been developed, ensuring all success factors that achieve the desired goals and objectives, including the tool that the student will use to obtain all these gains that enable him to have reading and writing skills, stressing that reading is the key to knowledge and the basis of success in life; It is an effective means of communicating with others and expressing opinions, feelings, and trends. It is a means of being open to the world and knowing what is happening at the local and global levels. We cannot ignore the relationship of reading with the sustainable development of skills and values that ensure the learner’s participation in current and future life activities.
Dr. Akram Hassan also emphasized that the importance of reading and writing does not depend on academic achievement, but rather represents a real need for the learner to live normally without disturbance. Many children who are weak in reading and writing suffer from disorder, loss of self-confidence, delayed social and mental development, and the emergence of behavioral problems such as anxiety, aggressive behavior, and isolation from friends and relatives. These problems threaten the child’s enjoyment of his life. He refrains from engaging positively in meaningful, enjoyable and beloved activities, whether inside or outside the classroom, thus depriving the child of positive opportunities that increase his sense of well-being and enjoyment in his life, and stand in the way of achieving the quality and well-being of the lives of students and their families.
The head of the Central Administration for Curriculum Development said that developing reading and writing skills is a means to access the labor market, get rid of poverty, and adapt to the changing world of work. Delay in acquiring reading and writing skills hinders the individual from achieving his goals, and this has long-term social and economic consequences. Delay in reading threatens the professional future of the student or graduate. His chances of obtaining a stable, sustainable job or profession are reduced, especially in light of the complexities of equipment, tools and devices. As it has become a labor market requirement for most jobs, including professions, proficiency in reading and writing, therefore, concerted efforts must be made for continuous learning. To ensure a just and comprehensive transition to a future of work that contributes to sustainable development in its economic and social dimensions.
For his part, Dr. Ramadan Mohamed Ramadan, Assistant Minister for Examinations and Educational Evaluation, reviewed the basic study for the national assessment - April 2023, noting that “the main purpose of the National Assessment Program (G4NAMA),” which is placed on an institutional system, is based on the scientific method to collect accurate evidence. It is documented on a regular basis, to monitor the progress in students’ learning of the Arabic language and mathematics by the end of the fourth grade of primary school, and to evaluate the impact of the curricula developed within the framework of the Education Development Project (EDU 2.0).
Dr. Ramadan confirmed that this program aimed to evaluate five basic learning outcomes derived from the analysis of the framework of the fourth-grade primary curriculum in the Arabic language, including (listening, vocabulary, literary reading, informational reading, and writing).
He also pointed out that four learning outcomes derived from the framework of the fourth-grade primary mathematics curriculum were evaluated as follows: (mathematical concepts and procedures, solving mathematical problems, mathematical communication, and Arabic language learning outcomes).
Dr. Ramadan Muhammad Ramadan also reviewed the mathematics learning outcomes (mathematical concepts and procedures), which measure the learner’s ability to explain and apply mathematical concepts, implement mathematical procedures, and solve mathematical problems, in addition to mathematical communication and mathematical modeling.
Dr. Ramadan added that the study was conducted on a sample of (12,314) students representing (245) schools, and questionnaires were conducted that included (the Arabic language test, the mathematics test, the student questionnaire, the teacher questionnaire, and the school principal’s questionnaire), stressing that the primary purpose of applying the questionnaires was It is to collect data on the educational context in each of the following topics: (teaching methods and learning activities, evaluation and follow-up methods, classroom management, and the learning environment and sources).
He explained that four graded standard levels have been identified; To describe the performance expected of students who have completed the fourth grade curriculum in the Arabic language and mathematics at each level of achievement, which are: (advanced, proficient, beginner, below grade level), pointing out that the threshold score that separates each level has been determined. A standard for performance, and the lowest level, against which performance is evaluated.
Dr. Ramadan Muhammad Ramadan also reviewed the basic study for the national assessment - April 2023, explaining that the sample of the basic study amounted to (12,875) among the students who studied at least 85 of the Arabic language and mathematics courses in the developed curriculum for the fourth grade. Questionnaires were also applied to a number of ( 780 male and female teachers who taught the Arabic language and mathematics to these students in the fourth grade, and a number of (247) principals or institute sheikhs or those who carry out their work in the schools included in the basic application sample, which numbered (247) Azharic schools and institutes, and these are the same schools and institutes in which the study was applied. As a baseline, four test pictures were used in the Arabic language, and four test pictures in mathematics.
This came in the presence of Dr. Mervat El-Deeb, Chairman of the Preparatory Stage Curricula Development Committee, Dr. Aiden Clerkin, advisor to the World Bank, Dr. Hanem Ahmed, an education specialist at UNICEF Egypt, Dr. Magda Bakri and Dr. Mona Abdel-Aty of the Education Committee of the House of Representatives, Major General Ahmed Al-Bakri of the Education Committee of the Senate, and the representative. Rasha Fayez, member of the Education and Scientific Research Committee in the House of Representatives and member of the Coordination of Youth of Parties and Politicians, Hani Hanna and Muhammad Al-Lafi Allam, members of the Coordination of Youth of Parties and Politicians, Dr. Ismail Haddad, Secretary of the Supreme Council of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Sheikh Ayman Abdel-Ghani, Head of the Al-Azhar Institutes Sector, and Dr. Amal Suwaidan, Head of the Educational Studies Sector. The Supreme Council of Universities, engineer Nevin Othman, President of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, experts from colleges of education, and a number of representatives of international and local organizations and institutions.
Also present from the Ministry of Education and Technical Education were Dr. Muhammad Mujahid, Deputy Minister for Technical Education, Dr. Ahmed Daher, Deputy Minister for Technological Development, Dr. Jihan Kamal, Assistant Minister for Educational Research, Dr. Ahmed Al-Muhammadi, Assistant Minister for Planning and Follow-up, Dr. Akram Hassan, Head of the Central Administration for Curriculum Development, and Dr. Sherine Hamdy, Advisor to the Minister for Administrative Development and Supervisor of the Central Administration, Dr. Randa Shaheen, Head of the Central Administration for Public Education, Mohamed Attia, Head of the Central Administration for Expenditure Education, Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education Development and Director of the Operating Unit, Applied Technology Schools, and Dr. Zainab Khalifa, Director of the Academy. Professionalism for teachers, a number of directors of educational directorates, and education leaders.