Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr. Tarek Kamel and Minister of Education Dr. Yousry El-Gamal agreed on setting up an integrated plan for developing 1730 high schools over two years. The plan will have been accomplished by 2011.
The development plan aims at equipping high schools with the technological infrastructure required for putting into force a comprehensive assessment system. The new system will be active as of the academic year 2011-2012.
The plan encompasses facilitating technological infrastructure for labs, libraries, school administrations, clinics and teachers' rooms. Teachers and administrators will be rained on using IT tools in the educational process and in the preparation of e-content for the curricula.
The plan goes in line with the high school development plan lately authorized by President Hosni Mubarak.
Dr. Kamel and Dr. El-Gamal reviewed during an expanded meeting held in the Smart Village the implementation status of the strategic development project of schools and means of putting it into force. Senior officials from the two ministries attended the meeting.
The meeting tackled the achievements realized in the past phase. A total of 146 experimental schools across Egypt were equipped as smart schools. 2000 middle schools were equipped with technological devices. Also 182 schools took part in the school development project.
In addition, these schools were offered an electronic information system containing the personal and academic data of students and the training qualifications of teachers and administrators. The data entry of health data for students of these schools is underway.
The strategy is undertaken by Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and Ministry of Education based on a number of bilateral agreements signed in the past five years. The agreements include: Smart Schools Network (SSN) project, Egyptian Education Initative (EEI), School Development Project, International Computer Driver's License (ICDL), Egyptian Olympiad in Informatics and Technology Clubs.
Education development projects are carried out via the utilization of IT in cooperation with private sector local and international companies operating in ICT.
A total of 35,000 teachers received ICDL. 150,000 others are qualified to sit in for the ICDL test. Around 100 technology clubs were established inside the schools.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kamel called on the project task forces at the two ministries to prepare a comprehensive study analyzing the targeted output of converging IT with education and its effect on teachers, students and families. The study will be conducted on a sample of schools where the above projects were applied.
