Cairo: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi called for further reforms to Egypt's education system, building on recent progress to improve the quality of education and equip students with skills that meet the evolving demands of the labor market.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Presidential Spokesman Mohamed El-Shennawy stated that during a meeting in New Alamein on Sunday, July 26, 2026, President El-Sisi emphasized the importance of expanding international cooperation and exchanging expertise with foreign educational institutions. This collaboration aims to drive national education development and integrate global best practices.
Minister of Education and Technical Education Mohamed Abdel Latif outlined the progress of technical education, noting that approximately 2.35 million students are currently enrolled in 3,213 specialized technical schools. Abdel Latif also pointed out that international agreements have been signed to expand the number of applied technology schools to nearly 225 by the start of the next academic year.
He said that Egypt had signed cooperation agreements with Italy to establish 100 applied technology schools in various specializations beginning next academic year, describing partnerships with Italy and Germany as successful models for developing technology-based education and equipping students with labor market skills. The minister also reviewed the results of Egyptian-German cooperation to develop Egyptian-German technical schools, including the signing of a declaration of intent with Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development to upgrade the schools and award graduates German-accredited certificates.
Abdel Latif added that cooperation protocols had also been signed with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to develop, establish and operate 38 Egyptian-German technical schools starting next academic year. The spokesman added that President El-Sisi was also briefed on the ministry's ongoing review of the Egyptian Baccalaureate curriculum framework in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), aiming to align the program with global benchmarks while safeguarding Egypt's national identity.
The minister said the partnership reflects Egypt's vision of modernizing its education system through international cooperation, while maintaining the distinctive character of the national education system. The meeting also reviewed efforts to improve pre-university and technical education, enhance the quality of education and promote an environment that supports innovation and skills development.
The minister also highlighted ongoing collaboration with Japan's Hiroshima University to implement the TOFAS assessment in programming and artificial intelligence for first-year secondary students, as well as cooperation on introducing a financial literacy curriculum for second-year secondary students. He added that programming and artificial intelligence had also been introduced for first-year technical secondary students through Japan's QUREO platform to strengthen innovation and digital transformation skills.
Additionally, the minister also outlined upcoming collaboration with Harvard University, focusing specifically on educator professional development programs hosted at the Egyptian Military Academy.