Education System Egypt
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Education system Egypt described and compared with the Dutch system Education system | Evaluation chart Education system Egypt This document contains information on the education system of Egypt. We explain the Dutch equivalent of the most common qualifications from Egypt for the purpose of admission to Dutch higher education. Disclaimer We assemble the information for these descriptions of education systems with the greatest care. However, we cannot be held responsible for the consequences of errors or incomplete information in this document. With the exception of images and illustrations, the content of this publication is subject to the Creative Commons Name NonCommercial 3.0 Unported licence. Visit www.nuffic.nl/en/home/copyright for more information on the reuse of this publication. Education system Egypt | Nuffic | 2nd edition, December 2010 | version 3, September 2018 2 Education system | Evaluation chart Education system Egypt Education system Egypt Doctorate Degree L8 (PhD) 3 Master L7 Diploma of Higher Studies L7 (university education) (university education) postgraduate 2 1-2 Bachelor L6 Bachelor L6 (university education) (higher institutes) 4 Higher Diploma of Technology L5 (higher institutes of technology) undergraduate 4-5 3 Technical Institute Diploma L4 (intermediate technical institutes) 2 General Secondary L4 Secondary School L3 Diploma of L4 Secondary L3 Education Certificate Technical Diploma Advanced Technical School Diploma in (senior secondary (senior secondary Studies Vocational Preparation general education) vocational education) (senior secondary (senior secondary vocational education) vocational education) 3 3 5 3 Basic Education Certificate L2 Certificate of Completion of L2 (junior secondary education) Basic Education and Vocational Preparation 3 (junior vocational education) 3 Primary education L1 6 0 Duration of education Education system Egypt | Nuffic | 2nd edition, December 2010 | version 3, September 2018 3 Education system | Evaluation chart Education system Egypt Evaluation chart The left-hand column in the table below lists the most common foreign qualifications applicable to admission to higher education. The other columns show the Dutch equivalent along with the corresponding levels in the Dutch and European qualifications frameworks. Degree or qualification Dutch equivalent and NLQF level EQF level Basic Education Certificate approximately 2 years of 2 2 HAVO Secondary School Technical Diploma MBO diploma (qualification 2/3 2/3 level 2 or 3) Diploma of Advanced Technical Studies MBO diploma (qualification 3/4 3/4 level 3 or 4) General Secondary Education HAVO diploma 4 4 Certificate Al-Azhar Secondary Education HAVO diploma 4 4 Certificate Technical Institute Diploma MBO diploma (qualification 4 4 level 4) Higher Diploma of Technology 3 years of HBO (higher 5 5 technical education) Bachelor (Higher Institutes) HBO bachelor’s degree 6 6 Bachelor (University) HBO bachelor’s degree, or 2 6 6 years of wo Diploma of Higher Studies (1 year) WO bachelor's degree or 6/7 6/7 HBO master’s degree Diploma of Higher Studies (2 years) HBO or WO master’s degree 7 7 Master’s degree 1-year WO master’s degree 7 7 NB • The information provided in the table is a general recommendation from which no rights may be derived. • NLQF = Dutch Qualifications Framework; EQF = European Qualifications Framework. • The EQF/NLQF level is not so much a reflection of study load or content; rather, it is an indication of a person’s knowledge and skills after having completed a certain programme of study. Education system Egypt | Nuffic | 2nd edition, December 2010 | version 3, September 2018 4 Education system | Evaluation chart Education system Egypt • Information about Dutch equivalent qualifications can be found on our website: education and diplomas the Netherlands. • The Cooperation Organisation for Vocational Education, Training and the Labour Market (SBB), evaluates statements on foreign qualifications and training at VMBO and MBO level. The evaluation may vary if SBB evaluates the diploma for admission to VET schools or the labour market in the Netherlands. Education system Egypt | Nuffic | 2nd edition, December 2010 | version 3, September 2018 5 Education system | Evaluation chart Education system Egypt Introduction Egypt is made up of 18 provinces and is bordered by Libya, Sudan and Israel. The official name of the country is the Arab Republic of Egypt. Today, Egypt’s population is over 96 million people, half of which live in urban areas. It is estimated that approximately one-quarter of Egypt's population live in poverty, mainly due to underemployment. Approximately 35 per cent of the population is made up of young people under the age of 15, putting a lot of pressure on education and the labour market. Around a quarter of the population is illiterate. In Egypt, 2 ministries are responsible for education: the Ministry of Education is responsible for pre-school, primary and secondary education, and higher education is governed by the Ministry of Higher Education. There are also a number of specialist institutes that fall under the supervision of other ministries. The Ministry of Al-Azhar Affairs supervises denominational education (from primary to university education) at the Al-Azhar schools and the university (Al-Azhar University). Diplomas awarded in this system are considered to be equivalent to diplomas obtained at public institutions. Monitoring of the Egyptian education system is highly centralised, for both public and private institutions. The Ministry of Higher Education (established in 1961) is responsible for the supervision and coordination of higher education. These activities have been subdivided among a number of Supreme Councils, including a Supreme Council of Universities. This council, chaired by the Minister of Higher Education, formulates university education policy, coordinates university programmes, determines how many students may be admitted to the various faculties each year, and advises the government on university financial affairs. The council also deals with international comparisons and credential evaluation. Education has been free at public institutions since 1962, and is compulsory until the end of the first phase of secondary school, i.e. up to the ninth year. The language of instruction in higher education is Arabic, except at the following university faculties, where English is used: Dentistry, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy, Architecture, Natural Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and English Language and Literature. Final theses and doctoral theses are written in Arabic, with an abstract in English. One exception to this rule is the American University of Cairo, where English is used as the language of instruction for all programmes. The academic year runs from September until June, with a break in January. The school/study week runs from Saturday until Thursday morning. University examinations are conducted in June, with supplementary exams in September and January. Education system Egypt | Nuffic | 2nd edition, December 2010 | version 3, September 2018 6 Education system | Evaluation chart Education system Egypt Primary and secondary education Primary school (basic education) lasts for 6 years. No diploma is issued at the end of basic education (prior to 1988, the Primary Education Certificate was awarded). This is followed by preparatory education for children aged from 12 to 14, with a nominal duration of 3 years. At the end, pupils take a centralised national examination and are awarded the Basic Education Certificate (shahâdat itmâm al-dirâsa bi-marhalat al-ta`lîm al-asâsî). In terms of level, the Basic Education Certificate is comparable to approximately 2 years of HAVO. Alternatively, pupils can enrol on a 3-year programme at a vocational school after primary school. This type of schooling is aimed particularly at pupils who are unable to successfully complete basic education, or who do not pass the first year of preparatory education. At the end of this phase, pupils receive the Certificate of Completion of Basic Education and Vocational Preparation (shahâdat itmâm marhalat al-ta`lîm al-asâsî, i`dâd mihanî). After this programme, pupils can continue on to a vocational secondary school. The Secondary School Diploma in Vocational Preparation (diblôm al-madâris al- thânawiyya l-fanniyya, i`dâd mihanî) does grant access to post-secondary education, and is therefore a final programme of study. After preparatory education, pupils can continue on to related general secondary education or to vocational education at a technical secondary school (madrasa thânawiyya fanniyya). The secondary education phase lasts 3 years. The first year consists of a common curriculum, and in the second year pupils choose either the general (academic) or technical track. Around 70% of all pupils choose the technical track, due to the lack of places in the general track and also because selection takes place based on pupils’ results from the previous phase. Within the general track, pupils opt to study either (natural) sciences or language and literature. Upon completion of this phase, students are awarded the General Secondary Education Certificate (shahâdat itmâm al-dirâsa al-thânawiyya al-`âmma). Subjects are divided into compulsory subjects and subjects for which pupils take exams but which do not count towards the final diploma. Secondary school curricula are very uniform in all schools, and the final examination is a national exam. Teaching methods put a strong emphasis on memorizing