UNICEF, Education Min. Hold Curriculum Development Forum

In collaboration with UNICEF, the Egyptian Ministry of Education held on Sunday, a session entitled "Visions and Experience in Curriculum Development" on the sidelines of the Curriculum Development Forum, which is taking place in Cairo from 6th to 7th August.

The event was attended by Minister of Education Dr. Reda Hegazy; Eng. Nevine Osman, Secretary General of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood; Amir Fouad, Education Specialist at UNICEF; and Akram Hassan, Head of Central Department for Curriculum Development, who reviewed international experience in curriculum reform.

The panel session discussed a range of opportunities and challenges for achieving a new educational system.

In his address, Shiraz Chakera Chief of Education, at UNICEF, said: "The impacts of COVID are leading to sharp declines in children’s education. International analysis indicates that the proportion of 10-year-olds unable to read a simple paragraph may grow from 57% before COVID-19 to 70% after. We were facing a learning crisis before COVID, and this could translate to alarmingly low levels of learning now."

In the same context, he affirmed the urgent need to address low levels of learning, and pressures on the education system to accommodate rapid population growth, noting that Egypt’s education system is at a pivotal moment. 

Chakera also highlighted the importance of curriculum reforms, saying: "It demands wide and deep engagement by all stakeholders, and thus it presents an opportunity to not only focus on the development of the curriculum content - of curriculum frameworks, guides, textbooks, teacher training guides - but also an opportunity to engage all stakeholders on what is working and what is not working in the country’s education."

The UNICEF official continued: "If learning is already fragile with high pupil-teacher ratio, low teacher motivation, low levels of foundational learning, complex curriculum reform can actually weaken the education system."

He concluded his statement by hailing Minister Hegazy for his leadership and commitment to this important agenda and inclusive, teacher and community-led educational change.