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Homework for investors Many U.S. families are comprised of working fathers and mothers or single parents who work twice as much. To help keep them in touch with their jobs as child-rearers, some Chicago schools have started issuing report cards to parents. They want to see if the mothers and fathers are doing their homework, by helping their children with theirs, for example. The kids, apparently, enjoy seeing their parents being given this responsibility — and being held accountable for completing an assignment. Likewise, the Ministry of Education here in Egypt has to answer for the state of education in our country. In January of this year, the ministry produced a report on Egypt’s school system to the Arab Regional Conference on Education for All. In citing achievements for the 1990’s, the report tells us that 18,500 schools have been equipped with modern technology, though it does not go into detail as to what exactly constitutes this upgrade. The report also says that 20,000 old school buildings were "replaced, renovated and maintained" and that 9,585 new, fully equipped schools were built. Class density at the primary school level was reduced from 42 to 40 children per class, and efforts were focused on "reviewing and developing curricula, together with updating information and educational material to reflect world changes and developments." The figures emphasize the positive and indeed portray a slightly improved education system. But there is a great deal more we’d like to know. For instance, since crowding still obliges kids to attend school in shifts, just how many more new school buildings are needed for this to change? And what do the curriculum developments consist of, since schools still stress rote learning more than other methods that better develop problem-solving skills? Teacher training and retraining – provided in some degree for over 200,000 people in 1998/99 – is one of the ministry’s major ongoing efforts, as is "enhancing the status" of teachers. But 25-percent increases on small salaries, or pension raises from £E 40 to £E 85 per month, may not be enough to attract and hold dedicated professionals in jobs as teachers. That the government is concerned about the situation is evident in one of the most interesting figures in this report: the amount stated as education’s share in the national budget. This figure increased from approximately £E 3.6 billion in 1990/91 to £E 16.2 billion in 1999/2000. That could buy a lot of pencil sharpeners. But there’s no indication of how these funds are actually being allocated. Nor does the report give a clear idea about the ministry’s priorities, short and long-term goals, strategies or time-lines for achieving them. The ministry, it seems, has more homework to do. To be fair, educational reform is a tremendous undertaking. Along with the government, the private sector must become more actively involved in educational upgrades. Upgrading the education system, and doing so in an open and efficient way, is in the interest of the whole country’s future well-being. We already have some private primary schools with long lists of students waiting to get in. Perhaps the role of private universities could be expanded as post-secondary education becomes increasingly specialized. Meanwhile, schools dedicated to training in business and computer skills would be useful both to students and to companies that need better qualified employees. Some members of the business community have already joined forces to provide just such specialized training. The Future Generation Foundation is an NGO that organizes and sponsors training programs for new graduates and young professionals with some management experience. This is just one kind of initiative. In other cases, private companies have sponsored the construction of new school buildings. This is certainly a worthy effort, but a school is more than concrete and steel. Like a business, a school needs management and the right personnel. Perhaps AmCham Egypt’s Human Resources Committee could serve as a forum for members to address the pressing issue of educational reform. In any case, it’s time for adults — especially those in the business world — to start doing their homework. Egypt needs a new generation of tech- and business-oriented young people trained to think for themselves. If we don’t start working harder today, we are sure to receive some painful report cards in the future. Mohamed Mansour |
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