Egypt allocates $2.9bn for education sector in FY2019/20 – minister
Egypt’s Planning Ministry has allocated 48.1 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.9 billion) for the education sector as part of the current financial year plan that targets channelling macro-investments to education services with a growth rate of 20 percent in the financial year 2018/2019.
Public investments are estimated at 35.6 billion pounds, with private investments recording 12.5 billion pounds. These allocations are part of the key objectives of the financial year 2019/2020 plan, read a planning ministry statement.
Minister of Planning Hala Al-Said said these allocations would be used to improve six essential programmes in the primary and higher education sectors.
“The plan aims to provide 1.244 billion pounds for boosting the envoys project. It also targets to appropriate about 2 billion pounds for scientific research and its integration into society to fulfil its needs,” Al-Said stated.
She added that allocations for the education sector would be used to build 1,825 classes and provide nutrition programmes in 8,794 pre-schools.
They will also be used to build 327 classes and renew 1,145 classes for the primary education stage, in addition to building 1,015 classes for the secondary education and 106 classes for the technical education.
The allocations are also scheduled to finance 150 partnerships with the private sector to increase applied technology schools to 185.
Part of the allocations would be directed to literacy efforts targeting the decrease of illiteracy rates from 25.8 percent to 22 percent by 2021 through establishing a notional database tracking illiteracy cases, Al-Said said.
She added that a sum of the allocations would be directed towards providing students with special needs with high-quality education opportunities, 49 new classes, and 5,000 therapists.
Al-Said said the community education opportunities will be provided for the age group 6-14, and 50 classes would be built for community education students.
Source: Ahram Online
