By Manal Abdel Fattah
Ambassador Ralph Besti, Assistant German Foreign Minister for Cultural Affairs and Education Abroad, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Minister of Education, Reda Hegazy, to establish 100 Egyptian-German schools in various parts of the country, in the presence of the German Ambassador to Cairo, Frank Hartmann, in the New Administrative Capital.
He added in a press conference held at the headquarters of the German Embassy in Cairo that the memorandum of understanding is another milestone in the field of close educational cooperation dating back to a long history between Germany and Egypt, as this agreement aims to combine the best education systems in Egypt and benefit from German educational experience as well as providing support.
Methodological and educational under Egyptian responsibility.
He explained that during their educational journey until they reach high school, students will receive a comprehensive set of courses that include intensive linguistic training in German and English, stressing the importance of values such as access to education, non-discrimination, tolerance, personal responsibility and critical thinking being part of the school concept.
He stated that Egypt will build schools, and the establishment of this new type of school will be accompanied by a mixed Egyptian-German advisory committee. Then the development of this new type of school will be followed up by this committee, indicating that the school building plan will be implemented in the next school year.
He stated that he visited a number of German institutions during his visit to Cairo, including the Goethe Institute, the German School in Dokki, the German University in Cairo, and the German Antiquities Mission in Egypt, stressing that these institutions are the strong foundation for Egyptian-German cooperation in the fields of culture and education.
He explained that Berlin seeks to increase the number of people learning the German language in Egypt in order to support them to travel to Germany for work in the future, adding that there are 500,000 Egyptians who now speak the German language, noting that there are seven German schools in Egypt and 30 schools that are supported by the Institute. Goethe within the framework of partner schools.
