Country Paper: Status and Major Challenges of Literacy in Egypt

2010/ED/EFA/E9/RP/6 Original: English Eighth E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting on Education for All Literacy for Development Abuja, Nigeria 21-24 June 2010 Country Paper: Status and Major Challenges of Literacy in Egypt Prepared by the Ministry of Education June 2010 This paper was prepared as a contribution to the Eighth E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting. It has not been edited by UNESCO. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and should not be attributed to UNESCO. The paper can be cited with the following reference: Country Paper prepared for the Eighth E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting

AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH Addressing Adult Education and Out of School Children through Extensive use of ICT 1. Introduction: The Egyptian economy is shifting from an oil and service economy to a technology-based and digital economy, which is based on the power of knowledge and intellectual innovations, built through advanced education system and higher levels of literacy. The Ministry of Education in Egypt is committed to reform the education system in Egypt, in order to promote equity and serve as an innovative model in the region, through: (1) providing high quality education for all, as a basic human right; (2) preparing all children and youth for healthy and enlightened citizenship in a knowledge-based society, under a new social contract based on democracy, freedom, and social justice; and (3) adopting a decentralized educational system that enhances community participation, good governance, and effective management at the school level as well as at all administrative levels. Basic education is compulsory and has been guaranteed as a right of every citizen under the Egyptian Constitution. Since the early 1990s, President Mubarak has inaugurated a sustained education initiative that made education a top national priority in Egypt. Concrete efforts have been made to ensure equal opportunities for education for all children in Egypt. Those efforts resulted in a 240 percent increase in the education budget during the 1990s. A total of 15,500 schools were built between 1992/93 and 2009/2010. This number is more than twice the number of schools that were built in the preceding 110 years (now approximately 43,000 schools are operating). This growth in schools was accompanied by an increase in enrollment in basic education for both boys and, especially, girls. Since 2000, the concept of quality in education has crystallized with the publication, in 2003, of the National Standards for Education in Egypt. The National Strategic Plan for Education Reform was issued in 2007 and has been classified into three groups; the first group is Quality Programs. It consists of three programs with School Based Reform as the core program in this group, and Curriculum Reform and Human Resource Development as supportive programs that will ensure the success of School Based Reform. The second group is System Support and Management Programs, which provides technical support for system reform. This group includes the following four programs: Institutionalization of Decentralization, ICT for Management, Modernization of Monitoring and Evaluation System, and School Construction. The third group is level based programs, which are centered on levels of schooling. They are: Early Childhood Education, Basic Education, Modernization of Secondary Education, Education for Girls and Out-of- School Children, and Children with Special Needs. A special National Plan for literacy and Adult Education has been developed and approved by the supreme council for literacy headed by the Prime minister. This plan is based on innovative methods that reach beyond teaching illiterates reading and writing to integrating them in their societies, and equipping them with life skills that would increase their opportunities in leading quality lives. A comprehensive strategy based on cooperation between local authorities, government bodies, NGOs, and private and cooperative sectors will be used to carry out the plan.the plan focuses on three major policies: Closing the sources of illiteracy through basic education reform and reaching out of school children; Educating higher number of illiterates through innovative approaches and methodologies with all key players; and 2

Improving post-literacy programs and enhancing skills of new literates. 2. Basic Education Reform and reaching out of school children: The efforts of the government to reform basic education and reach out of school children include: a) Establishing universal enrollment in basic education through: (1) enhancing quality of pupils' life in basic education; (2) developing a basic education flexible curricula and instructional materials in light of the national standards; (3) completing the ongoing modernization of pedagogical methods and assessment; (4) solving the problem of teachers shortage and uneven deployment; and (5) developing societal awareness of the basic education reform. b) Expanding the establishment of community schools/classrooms for girls and out-of-school children through: (1) establishing schools in cooperation with local communities; (2) providing a sufficient number of trained managers, supervisors, facilitators, and workers; (3) producing instructional materials within the national curriculum; (4) providing a school feeding program for all children; and (5) developing societal awareness of the basic education reform. Despite the Ministry of Education s effort to ensure access to all school age children, there are some groups who remain outside the school system, including children who have dropped out of mainstream schools (estimated at 0.22 percent and 2.9 percent of the age group from the primary and preparatory levels, respectively), and those who never enroll because of either extreme poverty or complete lack of access. To provide education for these children, the government has provided various forms of schools or educational institutions. Since 1992, the Ministry of Education and other partners have been providing a number of initiatives to reach the hard to reach. The Community schools, the one-classroom schools, and the small schools all fall in this category. The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM), together with other government agencies, has been working since 2000 to provide education for girls and street children. These efforts resulted in the establishment of the Girls' Friendly Schools, Schools for Street Children, or Children in Difficult Circumstances. All these initiatives have together created a type of education referred to as Community Based Education (CBE). The CBE has proven to be successful and attractive in two respects. First, it provides quality education to those under-served, underprivileged, dropouts, and street children, and includes both girls and boys, hence blocking a major source of illiteracy in the population. Second, this type of education employs individuals with only a secondary school diploma as class facilitators. Research has shown that children attending community schools have a high transition rate (94 percent) to the next level of education, that these schools are of high quality and effectiveness, and that third graders from community schools outperformed those from public schools on the MOE formal third grade exams. Community schools have proven convenient and more attractive to particular communities and students (e.g., remote rural areas with no mainstream schools, extremely poor families who depend on children to support the family). This type of school is the only avenue for children who dropped out of basic education and grew beyond regular school age limits to return to education, and it is the only chance for marginalized populations (e.g., street children) who do not fit into that system due to their particular circumstances. The MOE's efforts in this respect have resulted in the enrollment of around 68,627 boys and girls in One Classroom schools, 6,936 in community schools (including small schools), around 20,000 in Girls' Friendly schools, and 630 in Schools for Street Children (that is a total of 96,193 boys and girls) in 2008/2009. 3

The 1993 First Lady's initiative for Girls Education triggered several initiatives that followed the same course of development in CBE, featuring a high level of community participation, international interest, innovation, and impact on the individuals and their communities. Four forms of this scheme of education are currently in operation: the One Classroom Schools (3,146), the Community Schools including Small Schools (274), the Girls' Friendly Schools (728 schools expected to reach 1,000 by December 2007), and Friendly Schools for Children in Difficult Circumstances (a total of 22 schools). As mentioned above, the existing efforts serve only 20 percent of the actual needs, as there are an estimated 400,000 children whose needs have not been met yet (100,231 dropouts and 299,669 underserved or not reached). Substantial efforts are needed to address this gap, particularly in girls' education, which is one of the EFA goals. In spite of the great progress that has been achieved in terms of reducing the gender gap, some problems remain. Specifically, ensuring equal access and retention is no longer enough to solve the gender issue which is also about changing the mindset of the people and therefore has to do with curriculum, gender biases of textbooks, and teaching practices. The past and present successes and achievements of CBE are good grounds for promoting and activating more community participation into particularly financing the future efforts to enable these children acquire their constitutional right in quality education. The current target is to establish and operate 13,333 CBE classrooms/schools similar to the currently existing model of community schools, selectively distributed to locations/communities in the 27 governorates to accommodate at least 400,000 children, as estimated in 2005/ 2006, who are not currently enrolled in regular basic education schools by 2012. It is evident that net enrollment is noticeably lower than gross enrollment. The relative inflation in the gross enrollment rate could be the result of including pupils who do not belong to the relevant age group, being either older or younger. This would mean that there might be a corresponding number of children who stay out of school, although they belong to the school age group. Quality improvement at the primary level requires a paradigm shift in the social perspective of the educational process at this level. This shift is one of the main challenges facing primary school development. In other words, education at this level should never be considered just a means to assist pupils in mastering reading, writing, and math skills. Rather, it should be perceived as a system intended to enable pupils to acquire values, attitudes, behaviors, and skills that assist them in forming their present perspectives and future orientations. 3. Literacy and Adult Education Egypt succeeded to improve the literacy rate to almost 75% in 2010 compared to 60% in 1996, in conjunction with boosting enrollment rate to almost 100%. Illiteracy rates in rural areas are higher than in urban areas and 2/3 of total illiterates are women. It is worthwhile mentioning that women have shown more enthusiasm, dedication, commitment and higher rate of achievement/success over the past years. Egypt National Initiative for literacy sets the basis for the integration between formal and informal education; adoption of social marketing campaign to ensure high enrollment and retention rates; introduce innovative techniques and approaches that address the social, cultural and economic concerns of target recipients, along with continuous development of curricula to ensure maximum impact; present several means for the continuous education, establish environment for adult learners to continue their education; develop a legal and 4

administration system to cope with the problem; and establish an information system that would definitely help in planning and continuous monitoring and evaluation. The Constitution of 1971 emphasized that Education is a right entitled to every person and the State undertakes to provide free education throughout all stages thereof. Moreover, Literacy and adult education is considered as a national commitment, which all organizations in the Egyptian community contributes to. The Adult Education Law issued in 1991, has been modified in 2009 to set the following policies: 1) Full community participation with leading role given to civil society organizations. 2) Setting transparent mechanisms for evaluation and assessment of literacy program through separating implementation from evaluation. 3) Full decentralization of implementation of literacy programs. 4) Focusing on quality of the educational process. 5) Creating better learner environment to improve educational outcomes and to avoid the re-laps. 6) Integration between plans for literacy and adult education and preventions of dropouts in basic education. 7) Accountability through a national literacy report which will be submitted to legislation councils to review the achieved results 8) Financing adult education projects and programs Despite the fact that the government is committed to financing adult education projects, it is still a subject of constant social discussions. A continuous increase in the budget of adult education and literacy has been achieved in the past years, but the economic crisis is impacting this budget as shown in the next table. Changes in the General Budget of Literacy Year Amount (Million L.E) Increase 2000 102.5 7% 2001 112.2 0.6% 2002 114.4 2% 2003 185.4 62% 2004 192 3.5% 2005 195.8 2% 2006 192.1 2% 2007 187-2.7% 2008 191.7 2.5% 2009 197.3.03% In addition to the above-mentioned budget, some of civil society organizations are selffinancing their programs. Targeting Programs for Increasing the Participation Rates: The Agency has developed a number of programs focusing on the students' needs and fulfilling their expectations and has depended on the students' participation in defining their requirements. Examples of these programs include the following: Literacy Programs for women in women's clubs. 5

Literacy programs using Computer and CDs through technology clubs in the governorates. Literacy programs for rural areas through the project: "Egyptian village free from Illiteracy". Literacy programs for the industrial sector workers and the participants in the development projects and inside the vocational training centers. Literacy programs in the places of workshops. Literacy programs in cooperation with non-governmental organizations and the Social Fund for Development. Literacy programs supported by university students especially those from Faculty of Education. Literacy programs for youths in youth centers on the country level. Self-learning programs through lessons on video tapes with literacy textbooks. It is aimed to encourage the use in the family to overcome the unpunctuality of students and their dropout from literacy classes. Programs for encouraging literates to continue learning. Programs for teaching literates life and occupation skills. The last ten years have witnessed a great development in the enrollment to literacy and adult education classes due to applying new methods and adopting projects oriented to specific categories. The table below indicates these developments. Progress of the numbers of the students successful in literacy classes within 1997/2007 Number in thousand Year Total enrolled Total attendees Total successful M F Total M F Total M F Total 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09* * Estimated 375 443 401 508 713 639 652 684 870 980 288 268 248 342 534 444 429 449 655 851 663 711 649 850 1,248 1,083 1,082 1.133 1.525 1.831 234 297 286 365 488 390 405 429 539 569 168 171 175 250 382 287 262 277 400 460 402 468 462 615 871 676 667 706 939 1.029 143 191 208 275 355 260 288 314 381 407 93 105 129 188 279 188 176 193 270 312 236 297 337 462 634 448 464 507 651 719 Examples of Effective and Innovative Experiments and Programs of Literacy: (at the local level) 1. The Initiative of University Students' Participation in Literacy Programs (Each One Teaches One): The national plan used university students in the literacy programs, depending on the success of UNESCO project UNILIT. This project was carried out in Egypt and showed positive results, and hence a leading project was implemented to carry out the experiment in an Egyptian university. A protocol for cooperation was singed between UNESCO and one of universities. It established that "each student of the third year (elementary education) would educate 5 illiterates in the village or district where he was resident". This is included in the 6

requirements listed by the "Adult Education" article, which assigns 5 marks and 50 pounds per student for every illiterate he has freed from illiteracy. Moreover, Illiteracy Eradication and Adult Education Center was established in the university. Training and rehabilitation courses were run for students as to become literacy teachers. This project succeeded and was replicated in two other universities in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education. Now procedures are currently adopted to develop it among other universities as well. 2. The Initiative of Developing Nongovernmental Organizations and Increasing Their Role in Literacy in Collaboration with The Social Fund for Development: The project started with a contribution from the literacy programs fund within the national project in 2004/2005, with a total cost of 32 million pounds at the national level. It sought to improve the institutional capacities of nongovernmental organizations, and to help in the creation of job opportunities for the youth in the field of literacy. The project is implemented at two stages: First stage: Developing nongovernmental organizations and increasing their participation in literacy programs, through: Rehabilitating the organizations (34 associations) and training people working therein. Employing additional persons in the organizations to manage literacy programs. Opening 600 classes for about 12 thousand students out of which 6250 persons succeeded. This project achieved a high percentage of students attendance in literacy classes. 22 million pounds were spent (the major part of which was appropriated for building the institutional capabilities of the participating nongovernmental associations). Second stage: at this stage the project focused on maximizing the benefit received from organizations that achieved success at the first stage, while the remaining amount was appropriated for micro-credit aimed to committed students. 3. The Initiative of Integrating Illiteracy Eradication into the Comprehensive Development of the Egyptian Village: The Organization of Building and Developing Villages is implementing integrated plans in the Egyptian village depending on popular contributions. In this context, it was agreed to include literacy programs as a major pivot in developing the village, where the department efforts are directed towards achieving the following: Increasing the awareness in the Egyptian village of the importance of literacy programs. Encouraging popular participation in literacy programs through natural leaderships, opinion leaders, and civil society organizations in the Egyptian rural areas. Educating citizens whose ages are 16 year old and above, through literacy programs coming from the surrounding environment, besides concentrating on educating rural girls and women. Giving opportunities for tutoring through a group of developmental and educational seminars for the local society, which fulfilled the actual needs of rural girls and women, and according to the environmental characteristics. Enhancing the economic position of those who were freed from illiteracy, and serious students, by offering discounted loans to set up small projects through the Local Development Fund affiliated to the Organization of Building and Developing Villages and other lending channels. 7

4. The Initiative of Transforming Literacy Classes into Clubs for Adults that Offer Packages of Services and Cultural and Professional Integrating Programs for Adults: This initiative focused on the results of studies conducted and students opinion polls about overcoming the challenges faced by adult education programs. The idea depended on transforming literacy classes from a learning space into a place where adult illiterates or literates met and obtained all services offered by governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Moreover, there were diversified lessons to focus on life and job skills, in addition to sport, social and cultural activities. The importance of an integrated look to the social circumstances of female students and their care for their children was put into consideration. Services and activities included: Health services like field examination and offer of health education. Agricultural extension services and practical and theoretical education. Veteran services and practical and theoretical education. Religious cultivation services in education and guidance. Earning a bonus of 200 pounds for each successful student. Free examination and treatment for all literacy students in health units. Issuing national number ID for each student who does not have it. Evaluating the heads of districts, cities and villages in terms of literacy. Organizing classes to supervise female students' children by a percentage of those charged with public service in order to teach female students' children and help them in their studies. Veteran program: free education, guidance and treatment. Religious program: education and religious contests. Social program: conducting studies for low-income people together with immediate aids. Sport program: sport activities and fieldtrips inside and outside the governorate. Agricultural program: agricultural education and provision of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Service packages were accompanied by other activities like: Issuing health and veteran card for each student. Facilitating loans from associations and paying for immediate aids toward chronic diseases. Carrying out surgical operations at half price. Organizing sport tournaments for all sports. Making fieldtrips inside and outside the city for the students. It was also agreed with the local eighth channel in the Egyptian Television broadcast episodes about the educational program and the trips. 5. The Initiative of the Private Sector Participation in Literacy Programs through Businessmen Associations: Aiming to benefit from the social role played by businessmen associations, an initiative for collaboration was adopted as a start for establishing an executive framework that could have been widened at a later stage. Since studies showed that social role programs are focusing on poverty without putting illiteracy into consideration, it was decided to integrate literacy into the poverty eradication programs supported by these institutions, more specifically by two businessmen associations. The Literacy curricula was prepared and focused on micro-credit projects. This system aims at providing the students with minimum reading, writing and arithmetic skills, in addition to small project management. The curriculum was presented in a way that 8

allowed for conversation, contemplation and observation of the matrix of Arabic and calculation skills. Curricula units included "learn and win", self-awareness, small projects, food industries, sewing, needlework and tricot. 6. The Initiative of Using Information Technology and Communications in Literacy: Egypt was one of the first countries that used communication technology in literacy programs. It has used radio broadcasting in teaching the illiterate to read and write since 1960's. With the advent of television in Egypt, Egypt employed T.V. programs in implementing literacy project in two ways: a- Calling for participation in literacy programs. b- Broadcasting specialized programs for educating adults generally, and literacy programs in particular. With the advent of satellite TV in Egypt, Egypt was the first country in the world that designated a specialized educational channel for adult education and literacy. This channel displayed programs that were received at centers from which the State broadcasted to areas that needed special efforts in improving literacy. This channel was used in: a- Marketing literacy programs and adult education. b- Training teachers working in the field of literacy and adult education. c- Displaying literacy and adult education lessons professionally. d- Displaying programs specialized in teaching adults about domestic repairs professions and crafts. With the considerable progress in using computers, Egypt has started an advanced program to employ this distinguished technology, which is attractive to young people, in the field of literacy and adult education. Literacy program was fully developed by electronic media. An experimental project was implemented and succeeded largely in attracting students, decreasing the percentage of their leakage, besides increasing the percentage of their success. On the grounds of this success, it was decided to expand the implementation of the initiative by using computers in IT clubs set up by the State, to provide such technology services to all citizens. There are 2000 clubs distributed across all governorates of the Republic. Recently, AEA in cooperation with UNESCO are starting a new initiative to use mobile phones to maintain literacy levels for newly literates. The initiative is built around using SMS to communicate with newly literates and encouraging them to reply to those SMS by providing them with immediate credits for correct replies. The most important challenges for the future facing adult education: The requirements of job market are very changing, as well as its link with the concept of continuous and life education. The issues resulting from our age and globalization (the culture of peace, dialogue with the other, and forgiveness), and their effect upon adult education. The cooperation among countries in establishing international, continental, and regional networks of adult education, in the framework of pursuing an alternative human 9

globalization, by providing data bases, information, practices, and experiences that facilitate working in the field of adult education. Employing communication and information technology in the field of remote and electronic education. Admitting the augmenting role of the civil society's institutions, supporting their role in the adult's education field, and freeing them from the restraints that hinder their work. Honoring the social role for the business associations, and the efforts of local societies in the field of adult education. Taking into consideration the comprehensive concept of the adult education, viewed as a comprehensive educational activity for all patterns of formal, informal, non formal education, whether inside or outside the educational institutions. Raising fund for adult education programs 10