Egypt: Technical education to the fore

Egypt: Technical education to the fore

Despite its importance, technical education rarely receives the attention it deserves. It is more diverse than the Thanaweya Amma, the standardised tests leading to the General Secondary Education Certificate in Egypt, and comprises four disciplines, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and tourism, within which there are multiple specialisations.

Mohamed Megahed, deputy to the minister of education for technical education, explained Egypt's efforts to develop technical education to Al-Ahram Weekly and its partnerships with international bodies.

 

How does the number of students currently in technical education compare to those in the Thanaweya Amma system?

The number of students and teachers in technical education high schools now stands at 770,000 and 250,000, respectively, in comparison to 660,000 students and 150,000 teachers in the Thanaweya Amma system.

Vocational and technical education students total 2.5 million, who upon graduation receive the equivalent of a diploma or a bachelor of sciences degree. They include two million students enrolled in technical education schools affiliated to the Ministry of Education and Technical Education and 150,000 students in higher technical education schools and technology universities affiliated to the Ministry of Higher Education. They also include 30,000 students in the Productivity and Vocational Training Department of the Ministry of Trade