Egypt’s Ministry of Education builds foundation for IT usage in schools by helping K-12 students and teachers take advantage of the power of technology to realize their full potential

The Egyptian Ministry of Education (MOE) and Microsoft signed an agreement to provide all K-12 schools with Microsoft desktop products, giving Egyptian students access to the latest and most innovative technology. Together Microsoft and the ministry will launch several major technology projects aimed at improving Egypt’s education sector, including the Junior Developer Initiative and the establishment of the Middle East Center for Innovative Education Technology. Microsoft will also support MOE in implementing the e-Government, Online Learning Services, Productive Schools and Smart Schools projects for students and citizens nationwide.

Situation

The Ministry of Education is responsible for all K-12 schools in Egypt, a total of 36,332 private and public schools with over 15 million students, or about 21% of the total Egyptian population. The ministry’s staff includes 799,000 teachers as well as 300,000 officials and administrative employees.

The Ministry of Education was one of the first government bodies to adopt Information Technology (IT) and is a staunch advocate of copyright protection. As such, it is committed to stocking only original software in schools under its supervision and is keen to incorporate IT into the core education process.

The ministry previously carried out a project to establish IT labs in various schools across Egypt, but the labs were under-utilized due to a lack of awareness and skilled IT teachers. MOE hopes to remedy this situation by training both students and teachers to embrace IT and realize their potential. It aims to increase the number of labs and introduce innovative educational programs such as e-learning, productive schools and smart schools that would provide new windows of opportunity for youth in rural areas.

Solution

The Ministry of Education signed an agreement with Microsoft that not only brings the latest in desktop technologies to all schools under MOE supervision, but also introduces and supports various innovative projects to enhance the educational process. By incorporating Microsoft’s state-of-the-art technologies, the ministry will provide Egyptian youth with the skills and experience they need to compete and excel in the global community.

As part of the agreement, MOE and Microsoft launched several new initiatives to improve the speed and quality of education services. The new initiatives include the Junior Developer Initiative and the establishment of the Middle East Center for Innovative Education Technology.

The most important goal of the Junior Developer Initiative is to plant the seed for an Egyptian community of developers of the highest caliber. The project will provide youth with comprehensive education during the academic year and summer vacation to produce developers with globally-marketable skills.

Meanwhile, the Middle East Center for Innovative Education Technology will identify new technology solutions for schools that maximize returns on IT investments. The center will serve as a regional focal point for educators and policy makers to develop, share and replicate efficient education practices. Every year it will train a group of teachers on ways to adapt and apply the latest IT applications.

Additionally, Microsoft will support various MOE projects such as the e-Government, Online Learning Services and Productive Schools projects. Microsoft will also train and certify the ministry’s IT staff as well as provide consultation services for the education process in general and MOE projects in particular.

The new projects are perceived as instrumental to accelerating the adoption and effective application of technology in Egyptian schools and society.

Benefits

Improve Efficiency:
By using innovative technology solutions, MOE will maximize the internal efficiency of Egyptian schools and thus reduce costs while improving the quality of the education process.

Building an Egyptian Software Industry:
The Junior Developer Initiative aims at creating the next generation developers to augment the Egyptian workforce and advance the country’s IT industry. This skilled workforce will enrich the economy and turn Egypt into an international IT hub.

Accessibility to the Latest Technologies:
The agreement provides students in every single school in Egypt with access to the latest technologies to bridge the digital divide. By utilizing state-of-the-art IT tools, Egyptian youth will become better equipped to face future challenges and to realize their potential.

Online Education:
Microsoft’s new technology tools will give Egyptian students and citizens in rural areas access to higher and more specialized education. Additionally, it will allow them to interact with colleges in various parts of Egypt and all over the world by harnessing the power of the Internet. Using Microsoft technology, teachers can enhance their skills and stay in contact with their colleagues around the world or attend educational seminars using video conferencing applications.

Reduce Piracy Rates:
The new MOE agreement legalized the use of Microsoft products in all Egypt’s private schools. Previously, the piracy rate in in Egypt was estimated at 58%. The agreement reduced the piracy rate in Egypt by 6 percent to reach 52% in 2002. The agreement emphasizes the ministry’s commitment to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and serves as a great example for others in Egypt and the Middle East.

Empower Employees:
The idea behind the agreement is to improve the productivity of MOE employees by automating internal processes and deploying productivity tools as widely as possible within the ministry and in all public and private schools.

Fast Facts
		Solution Overview The Ministry of Education is responsible for all K-12 schools in Egypt and is working on increasing IT usage in schools to improve the efficiency of the education process.
		Business Situation The Ministry of Education wanted to increase the IT awareness of its staff, teachers and students while simultaneously increasing the deployment of original software in all Egyptian schools. The ministry aimed to harness technology to improve the education process and create a new generation of developers for the workforce.
		Solution The Ministry of Education signed an agreement with Microsoft to provide Egyptian public and private schools with the latest desktop products. According to the agreement, Microsoft will also support the launch of several initiatives, including the Junior Developer Initiative and the Middle East Center for Innovative Education Technology.
		Benefits Improve school efficiency Produce a skilled workforce Reduce the piracy rate
		Software and Services Microsoft® Windows® Upgrade Microsoft Office Pro Microsoft Front Page Microsoft Visual Studio.Net Microsoft Server CALs Microsoft Consulting Services Microsoft Support Microsoft Training
		Partner Prosy Lab VirgiTech Synergy

		“ Our mission is to enhance and improve education in Egypt and information technology is a key to developing education. To fulfill our mission, we must exert every effort to adopt state-of-the-art technology that addresses the needs of schools, improves educational services and equips our children to compete in the global community.” Dr. Hussein Bahaa el-Din, Minister of Education Arab Republic of Egypt