Our nation is once again swept with a metamorphosed flu epidemic. I ask you all to kindly refrain from panicking. I understand that this is very reminiscent of the flu epidemic our nation experienced a decade ago but I assure you that we have learned the error of our ways and are handling it differently this time round.
Out the gate it is imperative to tell you that under no circumstance are we postponing or cancelling this educational year. This serves no benefit to anyone and has only served to increase cramming and diminish the quality of the educational process in the past.
For those schools offering high school degrees other than the Egyptian high school; classes are to commence as planned. Students are asked to kindly practice extreme caution regarding personal hygiene. Those even with regular colds are asked to please stay home until they recuperate. Let us attempt to avoid panic and mass hysteria. Each of these schools will be assigned a physician and a mobile testing unit for the new flu epidemic. Schools are also kindly asked to re-arrange the class schedules so that each class does not contain more than 10 students.
For those students in the educational years 1 to 8; or more commonly primary and middle school, students are kindly asked to stay home for the first semester of this educational year, until the flu epidemic is under control. Classes will be administered as follows:
- There will be a dedicated TV channel for each educational year. The ministry is currently undertaking a screening and selection process to select the best educator in each subject for each educational year so that our students get the benefit of the best possible education for this year.
- Programs will be designed and shot to make sure the curricula is adequately covered and that visual aids are used to enhance the learning experience. A specialised graphics team has been recruited to this end.
- Moreover each class will contain, in addition to the explanation of that particular lesson, a problem solving session, where the TV teacher will assign problems for our students to solve, in the following session he will provide the correct answer and solve the problem in great detail for the benefit of those students whom did not get it right the first time.
- Finally, students are encouraged to phone in with questions regarding topics they did not quite understand, a Q&A segment will then be shot for the most frequently asked questions.
- For students studying in language schools, English and French subtitles will be made available on these educational channels.
For schools administering curricula other than the Ministry curricula (British, American, Canadian, French or other), the following setup will be arranged:
- Students are also required to stay home for the first semester.
- Each school will be provided with an electronic platform from RITI (Regional IT Institute).
- Each teacher and student will be asked to create a user name and password.
- This platform will allow the professor to upload videos, material and assignments. Moreover the students will be able to access this material and in turn upload solved assignments and term papers.
- Educational CDs for these foreign curricula are available abroad and schools are encouraged to import them and distribute them to their students besides the regular textbooks.
- The ministry will provide affordable locally assembled PCs at ministry outlets for interested students. PC dispersion will be highly regulated though to avoid scamming and the creation of a black market.
I hope this puts your minds at ease for now. Additional details to follow in later announcements.
For any queries or concerns please don't hesitate to contact my offices.
