Egypt’s Education Minister Tarek Shawki announced in April the implementation of new reforms to improve education in Egypt. The reforms, which are in part funded by the World Bank with a $500 million loan for five years, will cost a total of $2 billion and are expected to replace the existing education system with a new one to better equip Egyptian youth for the current job market.

Starting in September this year, the reforms will be implemented for kindergarten and primary school students, and for secondary students the following academic year.

“September 2018 marks the start of the journey to make our students ready for life, and we are pleased to have this partnership with the World Bank to accompany us on that journey. Our goal is to provide our children with the competencies they need to create a society that learns, thinks and innovates,” said Shawki in his statement to the World Bank in April.

The reforms include introducing a new curriculum that focuses on character building and critical thinking skills, improving teachers’ working conditions and development through training and workshops, changing secondary assessment systems and introducing electronic learning platforms, such as tablets, to students and teachers.