How much of a role does e-learning play in Egypt’s education landscape? Egypt’s K-12 education sector has been increasingly moving towards the use of e-learning tools over the past few years. That shift towards the digital was accelerated by covid, which in 2020 forced academic institutions shut and cleared the way for remote learning. Schools have since adopted learning management systems like Google Classroom, Seesaw, and ClassDojo, which help them administer school work online by enabling teachers to hold video meetings, assign homework, connect with parents, or give rewards. But that’s just half the story: In parallel, the local market is budding with e-learning platforms that provide students with similar resources on their own time, untethered to school. Today we’ll take a look at these platforms.

Who are the big players at home? The internet is awash with e-learning platforms of all shapes and sizes. Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular homegrown apps, based on our survey of parents and educators:

  • Orcas offers personalized in-person or online tutoring to kindergarten to grade 12 students in 20 countries, predominantly in Egypt, UAE, and KSA. The platform caters to students of all school systems but specializes in the curricula of international schools.
  • Madrastyand Abwaabhelp break down the curricula of language and Arabic schools by offering pre-recorded, standardized videos of teachers explaining different subjects as well as exercises and tests. Madrasty also features contemporary songs that tackle different topics and interactive live sessions.
  • Selah El Telmeez and Aladwaa Educationare household names that have gone digital, modernizing their offering of classic educational books with online videos, exercises, and self-assessments.

Demand for local apps has surged in recent years: Since Orcas’ launch in 2019, the platform’s user base has been on average more than doubling annually in both Egypt and the UAE, CEO Hossam Taher told Enterprise. The platform currently has over 20k paying learners. Similarly, Madrasty, which was launched two years ago, currently has 19.2k subscribed students, according to co-founder and Head of Growth Mourad Sioufi. In the last year alone, the platform’s user base has grown seven-fold while its conversion rate of registered to paying users has risen five-fold, Sioufi said.

It all boils down to one simple premise — plugging gaps in formal education: Proliferating population growth means that around 2 mn students join the formal education system every year, Sioufi tells us. While inadequate infrastructure limits schools’ ability to cater to these numbers, private tutoring can be costly. “This is where we come in by providing affordable and … high quality education to all people,” he says. Orcas, meanwhile, capitalizes on the market need for personalization. “We offer a 1:1 approach in the most affordable way possible given the technology we leverage and learning outcomes we bring about,” says Taher. “That’s something schools can’t do.”

Many of these platforms aim to offer a one-stop shop where students can have all their learning needs met. Successful platforms are those that combine all verticals — such as tutors, videos, and written material — using a data-driven model, says Taher. There are logistical perks too:“e-learning resolves the dilemma of picking tutors for different subjects and the hassle of sending or driving the kids to different tutors,” says private tutor Marihan Ghali.

Digitization creates the room for tech advancement: Orcas, for instance, aims to create a digital learning environment to facilitate data collection for AI integration, Taher says. The platform plans to roll out AI-powered features, such as content creation tools that help tutors generate slides, videos, and images. Another feature will see AI pulling information from transcripts of recorded sessions to answer student questions.

This is not to say that e-learning platforms outdo — or can replace — schools: “In our model, school is where you pick up the information and Orcas is where you come to study, analyze, and deepen your understanding of that information,” Taher says. “The two experiences complete one another.” School is indispensable, he says, largely because it meets families’ logistical needs, offering safety, childcare, education, and an avenue for socialization all at once.

Still, e-learning isn’t everyone’s top choice: For a lot of people, private tutoring hinges on word of mouth, says former educator Mushira Sabry. Many parents prefer educators who they’ve personally heard about, with a proclivity for those who teach at schools — a criterion they believe ensures that the needed teacher certifications are in place and that the instructor will be able to deliver lessons in the style of their child’s school, she says.

And online school resources limit the appeal of independent e-learning apps: Because all international schools and a lot of governmental and experimental schools offer recorded lessons online, external apps that do the same thing might not be as effective, Sabry says. There’s a wealth of online school resources available without charge to students, school director Nagwa Abdel Aal tells us. These include online textbook supplements, material uploaded by school teachers to Google Classroom, the Education Ministry’s e-learning portal, or Cambridge resources such as sample exams, exercises, and question banks. Interactive learning and the use of online resources is a requirement for school education, she says.

Your top education stories for the week:

  • More applicants for the SGP initiative: Education Minister Reda Hegazy met with head of the Smart Green Projects initiative Hisham Badr to look into ways to help amp up pre-university students’ participation. (Statement)
  • Better education in South Sinai: Hegazy met with South Sanai Governor Khaled Fouda to look into methods to boost education quality in the governorate.(Statement)
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