Egypt will extend its school year from 173 to 180 days starting the upcoming academic year, Minister of Education Mohammad Abdel Latif revealed at a press conference, adding that religion subject will also be factored into the overall sum across all grades.
Abdel Latif said that prolonged periods away from school negatively impact students' learning and memory, noting that other countries, such as Denmark and Japan, have longer school years, with students attending classes for 11 months.
The move is the latest in a series of measures Abdel Latif has taken since his appointment in July. These include reintroducing yearly performance scores for students in non-graded classrooms, which account for 40 percent of the overall subject grade. He considers this step essential for improving school attendance.
At the press conference, the minister added that students' return to school necessitates the return of yearly performance scores and assessments — a practice he said is already in place in private and international schools under "quizzes." He emphasized that no education system operates without ongoing student evaluation.
Abdel Latif noted that school attendance rates have fallen to as low as nine percent in recent years, and some schools have even closed due to low attendance.
He attributed the situation to overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teachers, assuring that recent plans have been developed to address these problems by reducing overcrowding and filling teacher vacancies.
The minister said the newly proposed Baccalaureate system, set to replace the decades-old Thanaweya Amma (high school), has been in place at international schools in Egypt and worldwide.
Abdel Latif added that his decision last summer to restructure the high school curriculum, including reducing the number of subjects for each grade, aimed to address the challenges faced by three million families struggling with difficult economic conditions and to alleviate pressure on teachers.
The education minister stressed the need to update the curriculum every five years to keep pace with rapid technological advancements.
The minister also announced during the presser that religion subject will be included in the overall student grade, starting from the first grade of primary school next year. He clarified that once the system is approved, it will also be included in the Egyptian Baccalaureate System.
He confirmed that the Islamic and Christian religious education curricula will be separate. In coordination with Al-Azhar and the church, the education ministry's curriculum center will develop a general framework for each curriculum.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
