An informed source from the Education Ministry said Minister Tareq Shawqy will declare the details behind his decision on the tuition fee increase for privately-owned and international school within the coming two days.
The source added that the Minister refused schools demanding a 20 percent increase, stressing that the rate of increase should be 15 percent for all stages at international schools, not only for newcomers. The rate ranges between 7-15 percent for the national sections.
The minister stipulated that no fees should be collected in US dollars or any other foreign currency. Violations will be referred to the prosecution.
Abeer Hany, the head of the Ministry’s public department of private and international education, said a new law is being finalized to organize the work of privately-owned and international schools before the beginning of Ramadan. Ministerial decisions No. 420 and 422 on private and international education will be merged together.
The new law, according to Hany, will include all the chapters on private and international education. It will also include chapters on the fees, rates of increase, certificates, methods of accreditation, licenses and others.
In related news, Shawqy said during the conference for the Egyptian National Competitiveness Council: “The current education system is totally inefficient. There is determination to change it under any circumstances; there is no alternative for this.”
He added that if the student admission system to universities were canceled, there would be control over the distribution of students across faculties in accordance with Egypt’s needs, instead of accepting students in accordance with their grades without a clear goal.
The current system, according to the minister, pumps out many certificates without any relation to the job market. However, some people refuse to change that system. “Fairness in a failed system is not success,” he added.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
