Globally, the automation of jobs and technological developments are transforming the way students learn and changing which subjects are valued most in the labor market, writes local education organization Egyptian Education. STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — provide students with practical skills and knowledge that are not just needed by growing and emerging industries, but are also vital to addressing many of the pressing issues the world faces today, from climate change to preventable diseases.

Enter STEM schools: The STEM education system is an “interdisciplinary and applied program focused on the concept of educating students in four main disciplines: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” Egyptian Education explains. STEM schools incorporate the subjects “into a coherent learning system focused on real-world implementations, rather than teaching them as distinct and isolated subjects.”

So, what’s in store locally? Last week, the Education Ministry launched a new USAID grant-supported national project to support the uptake of STEM schools in Egypt during a two-day conference. The conference dived into the future of STEM education in Egypt and ways to develop it with the participation of the private sector, along with both public and private universities.

60:40: The new education strategy wants to prioritize schools that focus 60% on practical studies and 40% on theoretical sciences, a source at the Education Ministry told Enterprise.

Egypt already has over ten years of experience with STEM schools:Egypt’s first STEM system school was the STEM High School for Boys in Sixth of October city, which was established in 2011 and was shortly followed by the Maadi STEM High School for Girls in Maadi in 2012. Now — thirteen years after the creation of Egypt’s first STEM school — there are 11 STEM schools spread across the country in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Dakahlia, Kafr El Sheikh, Assiut, Red Sea, Luxor, Menoufia, Ismailia, and Gharbia.

US considers STEM projects fruitful investments: In 2017, USAID agreed on a USD 30 mnproject to build a STEM system network of schools in Egypt and has helped establish 20 STEM system schools in Egypt, the development agency said in a report (pdf). Plus, Egypt and the US have a long history of STEM knowledge sharing, including the establishment of the USAID-backed US-Egypt Science and Technology Joint Fund to support researchers working in STEM, USAID Director Sean Jones said during the Education Ministry’s STEM conference.

Students have the ability to make Egypt a STEM hub: The STEM system is in line with the current ranking of Egyptian students in international science, technology, and mathematics competitions, Private School Owners Association Chairman Badawy Allam told us.

However, awareness is low amongst parents regarding the importance of STEM, which has negatively affected the uptake of STEM subjects and investment towards schools, Allam said.

ICYMI- The country’s educational system is currently undergoing a complete restructuring in line with the education pillar of Egypt’s Vision 2030 plan, which places greater focus on the involvement of the private sector and promoting development, our Education Ministry source told us.

Additional educational models will also be rolled out: The ministry has identified three further educational models on which to expand, our source told us. The ministry wants to expand applied technology schools operated in coordination with private sector institutions, Nile Schools, which provide education services that meet international quality standards at more affordable price points than private international schools, and schools for outstanding students.

Vocational education is also getting a push: The Labor Ministry announced the launch of an initiative — dubbed Mehany 2030 — to train and qualify 1 mn young Egyptians for local and foreign vocational markets, according to a Labour Ministry readout. The initiative is aiming to train at least 27k individuals in its first phase, with at least 1k trainees from each governorate and integrate at least 50 private training centers into the initiative.

SO, WHAT’S NEEDED FOR MORE STEM SCHOOLS IN EGYPT-

A STEM school in every governorate: The Education Ministry wants to establish a STEM school in each of the country’s 27 governorates. In addition to the 11 currently operating STEM schools, four new schools are under construction in Sharkia, Qalyubia, Beni Suef, and Qena.

More schools means more teachers: Egypt lacks a sufficient volume of STEM-trained teachers, Allam told us. Growing the number of specialist STEM teachers and school leaders will help strengthen the relationship between the Education Ministry and institutions, Education Minister Reda Hegazy said.

Scholarships to promote STEM: The new initiative will use scholarships to encourage students to study subjects at university that meet the requirements and needs of local and global labor markets.

Cut the red tape: Private schools require government-issued licenses to establish STEM systems, with only five private sector schools currently operating along the model in Egypt, Allam told us. The government should allow private and international schools to allocate a limited number of classrooms following the STEM system via a written request, which would only need government approval and not result in additional fees or licenses, Allam added.

Your top education stories for the week:

  • The Madbouly government has loosened regulations on private language schools with the aim of encouraging smaller players to invest in education. The government has reduced the minimum plot size for planned schools to 1.2k sqm, down from 2.5k sqm. (Statement)
  • Six Egyptian universities made it on Webometrics’ list of top 1k universities across the world. Alexandria University and Cairo University lead the pack by making into the university ranking organization’s top 500 establishments. (Statement)
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