By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    World Bank agrees $7bn new partnership framework with Egypt
    World Bank agrees $7bn new partnership framework with Egypt
    March 22, 2023
    IFC-supported partnership launched to help increase clean water supply in Egypt
    IFC-supported partnership launched to help increase clean water supply in Egypt
    March 22, 2023
    International powerhouse brands turn to inaugural GITEX Africa 2023 as launchpad to scale operations in the world’s next biggest digital economy
    International powerhouse brands turn to inaugural GITEX Africa 2023 as launchpad to scale operations in the world’s next biggest digital economy  
    March 22, 2023
    Egypt starts trial operation of ‘Iqat’ gold mine: Minister of Petroleum 
    Egypt starts trial operation of ‘Iqat’ gold mine: Minister of Petroleum 
    March 22, 2023
    Egypt aims to attract 30 million tourists in 2028: Tourism Minister
    Egypt aims to attract 30 million tourists in 2028: Tourism Minister
    March 22, 2023
  • Politics
    PoliticsShow More
    Egypt’s foreign minister phones Algerian counterpart over boosting ties
    Egypt’s foreign minister phones Algerian counterpart over boosting ties
    March 22, 2023
    Turkish President  Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egypt President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi met in Doha
    Opinion| Türkiye and Egypt: For better times with many opportunities
    March 22, 2023
    Drought caused 43,000 deaths in Somalia in 2022: UN
    Drought caused 43,000 deaths in Somalia in 2022: UN 
    March 22, 2023
    Opinion| The Chinese dragon occupies America's place in the Middle East
    Opinion| The Chinese dragon occupies America’s place in the Middle East
    March 22, 2023
    Al Azhar University partners with Google to empower students with latest learning solutions
    Al Azhar University partners with Google to empower students with latest learning solutions
    March 22, 2023
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    Government should help Egyptian arts revive its pioneering role: Omar Abdel Aziz
    Government should help Egyptian arts revive its pioneering role: Omar Abdel Aziz
    March 15, 2023
    Interconnected healthcare systems in Africa require political will from North African leaders: Amref official
    Interconnected healthcare systems in Africa require political will from North African leaders: Amref official
    March 12, 2023
    EGX ready for government’s IPOs programme: Chairperson
    EGX ready for government’s IPOs programme: Chairperson
    February 15, 2023
    British International Investment invests $4.5bn in 700 businesses across Africa: Sherine Shohdy
    February 15, 2023
    Valeo has invested around €0.5bn in Egypt over the past 10 years: CEO
    Valeo has invested around €0.5bn in Egypt over the past 10 years: CEO
    December 27, 2022
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Reading: Higher Education in Egypt
Share
Notification
Latest News
World Bank agrees $7bn new partnership framework with Egypt
World Bank agrees $7bn new partnership framework with Egypt
Business
Egypt’s foreign minister phones Algerian counterpart over boosting ties
Egypt’s foreign minister phones Algerian counterpart over boosting ties
Politics Egypt
IFC-supported partnership launched to help increase clean water supply in Egypt
IFC-supported partnership launched to help increase clean water supply in Egypt
Business
Turkish President  Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egypt President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi met in Doha
Opinion| Türkiye and Egypt: For better times with many opportunities
Politics Opinion
International powerhouse brands turn to inaugural GITEX Africa 2023 as launchpad to scale operations in the world’s next biggest digital economy
International powerhouse brands turn to inaugural GITEX Africa 2023 as launchpad to scale operations in the world’s next biggest digital economy  
Business Technology
Aa
Aa
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.
Dailynewsegypt > Blog > Opinion > Higher Education in Egypt
Opinion

Higher Education in Egypt

Daily News Egypt
Last updated: 2014/03/08 at 5:03 PM
By Daily News Egypt 8 Min Read
Share
Inji Mounib
SHARE
Inji Mounib
Inji Mounib

By Inji Mounib

I recently read an interesting article by Dr. Anthony Perzigian on Higher Education in Egypt where he tackled in depth the main challenges impeding the reform of higher education in Egypt and provided radical solutions to the development of the curriculum and the whole education system. Ideas highlighted and solutions interpreted were all comprehensive and sufficient enough to turn our outdated bureaucratic universities in Egypt into competent and advanced educational institutions. Yet, I tend to disagree with his limiting the challenge to the development of the curriculum. Eventually, the more you focus on reforming the curriculum and the system, the more you will probably go nowhere, given the fact that the real essence of the problem lies in the people’s perception vis-avis the entire concept of “higher education”. It is more of a social dilemma that we need to focus on first and try to solve. Only then, can we successfully tackle the file of education and upgrade both outlook and content.

 

The social must-have crisis

It all started with the illusion of so-called “Public Education”. Late President Nasser got this ultimate dream of making higher education available and for free just for everyone. Consequently, each and every citizen obtained the right to join university and get enrolled in one of its different faculties only based on his academic records at the end of secondary school. From the age of the primary school, the dream of the university, previously restricted and only for privileged and genius ones, became a real opportunity just for everyone. Unlike most developed countries and even unlike the common rule prior the 1950s of last century, the academic degree became a must-have within the Egyptian society and a sign of social respectful status. Your academic records dictate your moves and choices and not your desires, talents and aspirations. You wish to be an accountant; you turn to become a doctor with your high records in Thanaweya Amma (Egyptian Baccalaureate). You will neither realize your dream, nor manage to cope with your planned future imposed on you by law. The fact remains that higher education is not a must-have; it all depends on the choices the individual makes for his life and future. This dilemma resulted into a total dramatic social chaos. From one side, the large number joining, annually, the higher education universities and institutions led to a quasi loss of credibility and incapacity to invest in quality. On the other side, linking social status to a simple academic degree challenge the large public to stand in the queue of higher education, increasing constantly the number of fresh graduates, flourishing more and more unemployment, hence, growing corruption, increasing frustration and anger on different scales with this inability to catch up a dissent job and start up a long lasting career. In the old good days, the “Ostaz” was a lawyer or a professor and the “Bashmohandes” was an engineer. Today, the doctor could be a taxi driver, a doorman even a worker. Those are titles that reflect certain jobs. With the dream of quick and easy social upgrade, the trigger to study is empowered by the quest for status and not for the study itself.

 

All around the world, in developed and underdeveloped countries, you study with a planned set of objectives. Either you are talented in what you wish to be and get a sponsorship for or you enough means to cover your academic years. You choose a particular subject to do a specific job. The degree is a means, never an end in itself. Moreover, improvement in life conditions and social upgrades are viable objectives to work for requiring long journey of hard work and dedication and are not only achievable with a piece of paper stuck on the wall. Most social diseases started from this wrong perception, the son of the doorman who in seven years becomes a doctor cannot easily get out of his reality to become a genuine new one. Instead, it turns out a curse, not a blessing.

 

Go private… is it a way out?

The quality of the public universities is dramatically falling, giving birth to the increase of -private universities and colleges that are not necessarily offering good or better education. However, they are offering another opportunity for higher education and, most importantly, opening a new horizon for outstanding well-rewarded business opportunities. Nothing wrong with the model, yet, the devil is in details. The crisis lies in the implementation not in the concept itself and the objectives behind it. It is not always comprehensive; it is still emerging, mostly underdeveloped, subjective and very individual. Subject to the full command of the P&L indicators, education, which is supposed to carry on human interests and pure abstract seeds turned into a business opportunity with an owner on the top seeking the lowest costs, the highest return and judging quality his own way. Others constantly fly away seeking international higher education with one of those universities dispersed all around the globe giving rise to more social dilemmas and ascendant cultural crisis.

 

In most of the cases, quick fix scenarios and long term adjustment plans are all available given the time factor and the urgency of the case itself. Yet this issue has no quick fix. It is the either/or solution. It requires a radical change of perception from individuals as well as the government, a complete change of mentality and comprehensive understanding of reform. We need to start looking up to technical education and give its participants the accreditation they really deserve. Handcrafts and other simple jobs requiring talents and special skills, currently perceived as mediocre need to be also properly highlighted. No job is small or big; it’s always how you see it and what you make of it.

 

Inji Mounib is a Consultant of Crisis Management and Public Relations.

You Might Also Like

Opinion| Türkiye and Egypt: For better times with many opportunities

Opinion| The Chinese dragon occupies America’s place in the Middle East

Beyond GDP: Changing how we measure progress is key to tackling a world in crisis

AUC launches Excellence Scholarship Program to support outstanding students

Egypt, Turkey are not competitors in Libya: FM Cavusoglu 

TAGGED: Daily News Egypt, DNE, education, Egypt, high school
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
Previous Article Equality and Justice in the Courtroom
Next Article So how is the economy?
5 Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ad image

Stay Connected

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Instagram Follow
Youtube Subscribe

Latest News

World Bank agrees $7bn new partnership framework with Egypt
World Bank agrees $7bn new partnership framework with Egypt
Business
Egypt’s foreign minister phones Algerian counterpart over boosting ties
Egypt’s foreign minister phones Algerian counterpart over boosting ties
Politics Egypt
IFC-supported partnership launched to help increase clean water supply in Egypt
IFC-supported partnership launched to help increase clean water supply in Egypt
Business
Turkish President  Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egypt President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi met in Doha
Opinion| Türkiye and Egypt: For better times with many opportunities
Politics Opinion
//
Egypt’s only independent daily newspaper in English. Discuss the country’s latest with the paper’s reporters, editors, and other readers.

Quick Link

  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.

Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc..

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?