Over the passage of time, the education system of Egypt underwent change. During the 1950s, the main target was towards the improvement of education in Egypt. Gradually, many training institutes were started in the country, which were run and managed by different government ministries.
Students had to complete basic education cycle in order to get enrolled to the training institutes. The training institutes provided vocational education both at secondary and higher levels.
Subjects like Agriculture and Commerce were also started to be taught as part pf technical training curriculum. Students were provided subsidies and this resulted in increased number of students in the institutes.
Egypt Universities also provided opportunities to the students who completed their graduation at secondary and technical institutes, to appear examinations without appearing regular classes in the institutes. As a result of these steps, education in Egypt provided ample skilled labor to the country.
Ain Shams University
The Ain Shams University is one of the oldest secular universities in Egypt. It was established in the year 1950. Over the years, the university has greatly developed and expanded to include two high institutes and 15 faculties.
The Ain Shams University imparts degrees at the undergraduate, graduate and even the post-graduate levels and is a widely preferred regular university in Egypt. The university's curriculum stresses on the courses related to science and culture and in general aims at improving human knowledge. The main campus of Ain Shams University is located in Greater Cairo but it has branches in most parts of Egypt. Besides culture and science, there are separate academies for teaching agriculture, law, engineering, pharmacy, commerce, computer science and information, education, nursing, medicine, vocational skills, women empowerment and arts. Such a huge array of departments has truly made the university, one of the premier universities of Egypt.
Al-Azhar University
The Al-Azhar University is not just the oldest university in Cairo but also one of the oldest Islamic universities in the world. The Islamic university's glory has been increased manifold due to the adjoining Al-Azhar mosque. The Al-Azhar mosque was built in the year 971 A.D., while the university was founded in 988 A.D. with the purpose of propagating the teachings of Islam.
The syllabus followed by Al-Azhar University is purely Islamic, with the Quran and the Islamic laws being taught regularly. Other subjects taught at this Islamic madrassa are grammar, rhetoric, logic and solar and lunar calculations. The process of teaching is purely old-school, with students forming a circle around the feet of the sheikh and classes being taught in rote memorization. In higher classes students of Al-Azhar University are encouraged to take up Socrates' philosophy. However, the university exercises a strict restriction on admitting students who are non-practicing Muslims. Medicine and engineering are the newest subjects that have been started by the university in 1961.
Alexandria University
Alexandria University is one of the best-known universities in Egypt. In 1938, it was set up as a satellite of Fouad I University. However, in the year 1942, this university acquired its independent entity. Before taking the name University of Alexandria (1952), it was known as Farouk University.
Some of the most noted personalities who got degrees from this Egyptian university are as follows:
- Abdelsalam Heddaya
- Ahmed Zewail
- Mohamed Hashish
- Zahi Hawass
- Gamal El-Din Abdel Rehim
- Ahmed Tantawy
The Al-Fayyum University has been named after the Egyptian city in which the university is located and caters to the students of the city of Al-Fayyum in Egypt. The Al-Fayyum city is located in northern Egypt and serves as the capital of the large Al-Fayyum Governorate. The university has a large student base in northern Egypt. Although, the university is not very old, being established only in 1983 yet, it was decided at its planning stages that the university would be transformed into one of the major universities in northern region of the country of Egypt.
American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo is situated in Tahrir Square in the downtown area of the city. The government buildings, the National Cultural Center and Egyptian Museum are located within close proximity to the university. The American University in Cairo offers a variety of courses in its three main colleges:
- Sciences and Engineering
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Business, Economics and Communication
The Arab Open University was set up as a non-profit organization at the initiative of His Royal Highness Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saoud. The Arab Open University was set up with the funds of AGFUND. In the year 2002, the first branch of the Arab Open University was opened in Kuwait, which also houses the headquarters of Arab Open University. The other branches of Arab Open University have been established in Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. The university was set up with the basic idea of providing education to the maximum number of students with various types of educational courses. The Arab Open University is a part of the British Open University
Assiut University
The Assiut University was established in the year 1957 with an aim of encouraging higher education among the students of Upper Egypt. The university derives its name from the city where it is located and that is Assiut. The university lies exactly 375 kilometers away from Cairo. Like the other premier universities in Egypt, the Assiut University also has 2 higher institutes besides having 16 faculties. The primary aim with which the university was established was to encourage research and increase awareness about community services and other education related courses. Like other secular universities of Egypt, this university also imparts education in most of the modern fields of education.
College de la Sainte-Famille
College de la Sainte-Famille is a privately-owned Jesuit school in the Faggalah Ramsis and Heliopolis districts of the Egyptian capital city of Cairo. The main purpose of this school is to make priests for the Catholic Church. The College de la Sainte-Famille basically provides education for boys from the upper kindergarten level to the senior high school. The school comprises 3 campuses. They are as follows:
- The Petit College du Caire, PCC
- The "Grand College"
- The "Petit College d'Heliopolis", PCH
All these above mentioned divisions have acquired official approval in the year 2001 by CITA (the Commission for International Trans-regional Accreditation). The principal of this school is Magda Abdel Moneim and the American Division Director is Sherine Galal. On the other hand, Ghada Elshiwick holds the post of K.G and elementary headmistress, whereas, the primary headmistress is Farida El Ahwal and the preparatory and secondary headmistress is Hanaa Abdel Fattah.
Schools and Colleges in Egypt
Schools and Colleges in Egypt have contributed a lot in the growth of education in the country. The educational institutions with the efficient
operation and highly qualified teachers have helped the Egyptians to enhance their educational qualification. There are plenty of schools and colleges in Egypt. Among them some of the noted educational institutions are as follows:
- Modern English School Cairo
- Cairo American College
- British Schools in Cairo
- Indonesian School In Cairo
- The Model School in Cairo
- College St Marc
- Victoria College
Like schools and colleges of most other countries, Egyptian educational institutions also offer a wide range of courses to their pupils. In schools, generally basic education is provided to the children, whereas, in the colleges of Egypt, different types of courses for higher studies are offered. Students can choose the right option among these courses.
Modern English School Cairo is one of the most-preferred schools that are considered to be an effective international community that offers a learning development department, specialist teaching and secondary options. Here the students in the age group of 3-18 years are given training. It is one of the most popular schools in the Egyptian territory. Children from different nations come here to enroll their names in the school.
