Egyptian Minister of Education, Mohamed Abdel Latif, has confirmed that the ministry is working to fulfill President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives to increase the number of Japanese schools in Egypt to 500 by 2030. Currently, there are 103 Japanese schools operating across the country. The minister made this announcement during a meeting with Japanese officials, including Takao Imafuku, Director-General of the International Cooperation Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting, which also included Egyptian Ambassador to Japan, Fumio Iwai, and Yu Ebisawa, head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Egypt, focused on the partnership between Egypt and Japan in the education sector. The partnership has seen significant expansion in various projects, including the Japanese schools initiative. These schools offer a unique educational model that combines the Egyptian curriculum with Japanese activities, known as "Tokatsu," aimed at building students' personalities and skills.
The Japanese schools in Egypt have been successful in providing students with a well-rounded education, focusing on teamwork, discipline, and responsibility. As part of this initiative, the ministry has introduced Japanese language instruction in 10 schools, with plans to expand this further. The experience gained from these schools will be used to develop the education sector regionally. The minister emphasized the importance of this partnership in enhancing the quality of education in Egypt.
The meeting also discussed cooperation in the field of teacher preparation and training. One of the key initiatives is the Egyptian-Japanese "Tokatsu" diploma, offered in collaboration with Fukui University in Japan. This program aims to train around 320 students. Additionally, there is an advanced program for teacher qualification in partnership with Hiroshima University, which spans a full academic year. These initiatives aim to benefit from Japanese expertise in developing the teacher preparation and professional development system.
The Egyptian-Japanese partnership in education has been fruitful, with various projects and initiatives underway. The Japanese government has been providing support to Egypt's education sector through JICA. The agency has been working closely with the Egyptian Ministry of Education to implement various projects, including the development of the education system and teacher training programs.
Minister Abdel Latif highlighted the significance of the partnership with Japan in developing Egypt's education sector. He emphasized that the cooperation has contributed to improving the quality of education and enhancing the skills of Egyptian teachers. The minister expressed his appreciation for the Japanese government's support and looked forward to further collaboration in the future.
The Egyptian government has set ambitious targets for the education sector, with a focus on improving the quality of education and increasing access to education for all. The development of the Japanese schools initiative is part of this effort, aimed at providing students with a high-quality education that prepares them for the future. The partnership with Japan is expected to play a significant role in achieving these goals.
Key points
- Egypt aims to increase the number of Japanese schools to 500 by 2030.
- The Japanese schools initiative offers a unique educational model that combines the Egyptian curriculum with Japanese activities.
- The partnership between Egypt and Japan in education includes cooperation in teacher preparation and training.
