Abou El-Enein: Amendment to the Education Law Is the First Serious Attempt to Change the System in 45 Years
Abou El-Enein asks: Do we have the teachers, curriculum, and infrastructure needed to implement the new Education Law?
Abou El-Enein: I call for a new law that allows investment in education and modernizes the legislative system to link it with industry
Abou El-Enein: The pyramid in Egypt is upside down… too many graduates, few skills, and a shortage of technicians
MP Mohamed Abou El-Enein, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, said that the draft amendment to the Education Law represents the first serious attempt to change the education system in 45 years, pointing out that this amendment comes at a very critical time amid the growing talk about the importance of linking education to the labor market.
This came during the plenary session of the House of Representatives, during the discussion of the new Education Law in the presence of the Minister of Education.
Abou El-Enein added that the proposed law presents a new vision that keeps pace with the challenges of the labor market and changes the existing traditional systems. However, its success depends on understanding the existing challenges, which the government bears full responsibility for—particularly in light of Egypt’s Vision 2030, which has set clear goals for education.
The Deputy Speaker questioned the readiness of the necessary infrastructure to implement this transformation, especially in the field of technical education, saying:
“Do we have the teachers, curricula, textbooks, and schools qualified to deal with the sciences of the future? And are we ready to handle the qualitative leap imposed by artificial intelligence?”
He stressed that the biggest challenge facing the implementation of the law is funding, adding:
“If we leave the matter solely to the state, it will say it has many obligations. We need real resources to qualify teachers and educational institutions. I hope the Minister will present a vision for a new law that allows investment in education through private sector participation and by attracting international centers to establish themselves in Egypt and add genuine value to technical and technological education.”
He pointed to the imbalance in the labor market structure, saying:
“The pyramid is upside down—there is a large increase in university graduates, accompanied by an acute shortage of technical and technological skills.”
He called for a comprehensive strategic plan that changes educational behavior and creates a revolution in legislative thinking.
Abou El-Enein expressed his happiness that religious education, history, and national education subjects were retained in the new law, considering that the bill presents a new concept that must be well promoted to public opinion.
He added that if the law is clearly explained to Egyptian families, they will accept it, be happy with it, and will not be disturbed by it.
The Deputy Speaker concluded by approving the draft law, stressing the need to link education policies with industry, saying:
“We are facing a real civilizational shift that must be followed by a comprehensive modernization of the laws governing higher education and technical education within an integrated new system.”
