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The
education system in Egypt is state-sponsored and set up
in three stages: primary school (6 years), preparatory
school (3 years), and secondary school (3 years). Basic
education consists of the first two stages and is obligatory
for all students in the country, although 16% of girls
still do not enroll in primary school. Primary schools
are not segregated by sex, but the public preparatory
and secondary schools are. There are, however, many co-educational
private schools with fees affordable only for the middle
and upper classes.
The
first primary school for girls was opened in 1873 and
the first secondary school for girls was opened in 1921.
Education became obligatory by law for both sexes in the
constitution in year 1923. Women joined Cairo University
for the first time in 1928.
In
1993, the First Lady of Egypt initiated a project for
educating girls who did not join formal education through
one-class and community schools. The Ministry of Education
constructed this special type of school in rural and remote
areas of Egypt. Recently, the National Council for Women
has launched an optimistic project in cooperation with
the Elderly Education Organization and with the help of
non-governmental organizations aiming at eradicating illiteracy
among women aged 15-45 years as well as executing a plan
for total elimination of illiteracy among those aged 15-35
by the year 2006.
Students
take various exams throughout their formal schooling which
determine the path that they will take. A primary school
exam is taken at the end of the sixth year of schooling
to test students' basic knowledge. The preparatory school
exam at the end of the 9th year will determine which school
the student moves on to. Students with high scores continue
on to a general secondary school, which qualifies them
to attend universities later. Those with low scores
are directed to technical secondary schools, where students
study commercial, industrial, or agricultural education
and pursue careers as technicians, salespeople, secretaries,
etc. In the general secondary education, students choose
either the science, mathematics, or arts branch after
their first year.
The
Secondary School Certificate Exam is the most important
and is taken in the last two years of secondary schooling.
Students study eight different courses each year. The
exam is administered nation-wide and is based on this
coursework. University admittance is dependent upon the
results of this exam - a student should obtain at least
94% in the science branch to get into medical school,
and 91% in the mathematics branch to get into engineering.
Female students in Egypt get better grades and achieve
more success than males, as well as occupy most of the
top ranks in all the general exams in all stages of education.
The number of female students in Egyptian universities
has increased remarkably over the years as shown in Fig.
1.
Female
graduate students with excellent academic records have
the opportunity to study abroad via government scholarships
or scholarships from foreign universities. Although the
government sent the first group of women to study abroad
in year 1925 until now, some parents may object
to this because they often do not want daughters traveling
alone. If the woman is married, her husband may not want
to stay at home waiting for her, and it can be difficult
for him to find a suitable job in the same country where
his wife is studying. International experience does not
necessarily help in finding a job upon returning to Egypt,
but it does offer a way for the candidate to distinguish
herself from other job applicants.
Given
that education is state-sponsored and that progression
through school is dependent on test scores, the number
of women in science and engineering colleges has increased
remarkably. The female students in year 2002 reached 55.4%
in pharmacology, 45.5% in medical schools, 58.1% in dentistry,
45.4% in veterinary, 45.8% in science colleges (physics,
chemistry, mathematics, biology, and geology), 37.4% in
computer science, and 24.5% in engineering as shown in
Fig.2. Women getting accepted into science and engineering
schools are not likely to drop out because they have reached
this position after a tough competition that screened
all students and proved that they are capable of pursuing
these studies. Moreover, higher education in Egypt is
free. The ratio of female students in engineering in Egypt
is higher than most advanced countries, but still far
below the parity, not because female students are not
qualified for engineering study but because cultural stereotypes
still classify engineering as a "hard" profession for
girls. Many parents try to direct their daughters into
arts and humanities, even if they get the required grades
for engineering colleges, in order to have an easier time
combining career and family. It is important to note that
the first female students to join an engineering college
in Egypt was in 1945. Three female students graduated
in 1950. The percentage of female students in engineering
colleges remained very low in the 1940s and 1950s. In
the 1960s it rose to approximately 15%. It is now about
25% in 2002.
Female
professors in science and engineering become role models
for women students. There are currently no state-sponsored
organizations to increase the retention of women in science
and engineering because the Egyptian constitution and
laws offer equal opportunities for all students and they
do not need any retention like other countries. The female
student can overcome any problems during her study, and
her success depends on her perseverance and the encouragement
of women professors. The overall number of women professors
has also increased over the years. In some scientific
colleges as dentistry and pharmacology, they exceeded
the male professors. Fig. 3 gives an example of the percent
of women faculty members in the three academic ranks in
some scientific and engineering colleges in Zagazig University.
Fig. 4 portrays the overall increase in the number of
female faculty members in Egyptian universities.
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