Egypt is the Middle East’s largest school system, with more than 25 million students.  Although Egypt has impressive enrollment rates and gender parity at all levels, the quality, efficiency, and market-relevance of education is low.  To tackle these challenges, in 2017 the Ministry of Education and Technical Education launched its groundbreaking Education 2.0 reform to reorient teaching away from rote memorization and towards critical thinking.  USAID partners with the Ministry to implement this reform and prepare students with the foundational and technical skills to drive Egypt’s economic growth.

The U.S. and Egyptian governments have long partnered to improve accessible, high-quality education. Starting in the 1980s, USAID helped make primary education accessible for all Egyptian children – with the biggest impact on girls’ enrollment – by building 2,000 schools and providing scholarships. Since then, USAID and Egypt have promoted high-quality teaching and learning by training over 100,000 teachers and partnering with the Ministry to establish Egypt’s first science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) high schools, which serve 5,000 students annually. STEM graduates, including young women, have become leaders in their fields and advanced innovative solutions to Egypt’s greatest development challenges.

Today, USAID collaborates with the Ministry through several activities to equip Egypt’s 1.1 million teachers with the skills to implement the new Education 2.0 curriculum and enhance student learning.  USAID programs strengthen Egypt’s teacher professional development system, fund a virtual platform to train teachers, develop content for the platform, and revitalize teaching degree programs at Egyptian public universities to address the reform.

CURRENT PROGRAMS

STEM TEACHER EDUCATION AND SCHOOL STRENGTHENING ACTIVITY: To create a pipeline of qualified teachers, USAID established undergraduate and graduate degrees for STEM teachers at five Egyptian public universities.  USAID also provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Education and Technical Education to manage the STEM education schools, including delivering in-service training for STEM teachers and administrators. 

Implementing Partner: 21PSTEM; Life of Project: April 2018 – April 2023; Total Estimated Cost: $24.27 million; Governorates: Nationwide           

EARLY GRADE LEARNING: As part of the Education 2.0 reform, the Ministry of Education and Technical Education aims to move teacher training online.  This direct grant to the Government of Egypt funds a virtual teacher professional development platform and content to train Egypt’s 1.1 million teachers nationwide. 

Implementing Partner: Ministry of Education; Life of Project: September 2017 – April 2023; Total Estimated Cost: $10 million; Governorates: Nationwide

TEACH FOR TOMORROW: USAID supports the Ministry of Education and Technical Education to design, deliver, and monitor its teacher professional development system.  Partnering with the Ministry, this program co-designed Egypt’s first teacher standards that define the skills and competencies that all primary-grade teachers need to succeed.  The program is also developing a teacher certification and licensure model and an incentive structure that rewards teachers based on their performance. 

Implementing Partner: Education Development Center, Inc.; Life of Project: June 2020 – May 2024; Total Estimated Cost: $15.8 million; Governorates: Nationwide

LITERATE VILLAGE: This program establishes community schools for out-of-school children and adult literacy programs for their mothers in 1,796 economically disadvantaged villages in underserved areas of Egypt.  By providing literacy and support to rural children and mothers, Literate Village builds a culture of reading in the home and in the community that amplifies learning for all.

Implementing Partner: Save the Children; Life of Project: March 2017 – September 2023; Total Estimated Cost: $26.8 million; Governorates: Assiut, Beheira, Sohag, and Minya.

WORKFORCE EGYPT: USAID is accelerating the Ministry’s technical secondary education reform by creating seven new market-driven specializations, establishing ten new technical applied technology schools, and strengthening national systems for quality assurance and accreditation. 

Implementing Partner: MTC International Development Holding Company; Life of Project: June 2021 – May 2026; Total Estimated Cost: $70 million; Governorates: 15 governorates in Upper Egypt and the Delta region

TEACHER EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE: This activity improves the quality and relevance of teacher preparation in Egyptian public universities so that current and future primary school teachers have the skills to increase student learning and advance the Education 2.0 reform.  The Initiative will establish undergraduate and graduate degree programs for primary-grade teachers at fifteen Egyptian public universities. 

Implementing Partner: Education Development Center, Inc.; Life of Project: April 2022 - March 2027; Total Estimated Cost: $49.5 million; Governorates: Nationwide.