CAIRO: A study on the effects of foreign education institutions on Egypt warned of a schism in society because of the westernized education students receive.
The study, “Foreign Education and its Effects on Shaping the Values of the Egyptian Society, conducted by Bothaina Abdel Raouf Ramadan, at the Institute for Research and Educational Studies at Cairo University, shows that these internationally-oriented schools have different syllabi and do not enforce Egyptian morals, which leaves students with a foreign cultural identity.
“The westernization phenomenon is affected by a number of factors, including the media, which now broadcasts foreign shows, sitcoms and soap operas that expose our society to completely different cultures which inevitably effects them one way or another, said Saeed Sadek, sociology professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC).
Another source is education, which is a vital component in shaping one’s identity, he added.
The study says that these schools are detached from the Egyptian society and are not bound by any law. It further adds that the Ministry of Education’s supervision – if any – is only superficial.
Such schools are operated by foreign authorities who implement their objectives, which the study considers an intrusion in internal state affairs, likening it to the British occupation of Egypt.
Because students’ cultural identity is not yet formed when they enroll in schools where they are taught western morals and values, it results in internal conflicts, the study says.
“Students attending foreign schools in Egypt are taught history from a different perspective that is biased towards a certain culture which also subtly teaches the students that their country is underdeveloped . so they feel that they are culturally inferior, said Sadek.
“The result is a schizophrenic cultural identity that is torn from the contradictions between the two cultures, he explained, “this is specifically evident in the extremism of Egyptian youth, they are either dressed [provocatively] or covered from head to toe.
He explained that such people have no sense of belonging either to their country or to the foreign country.
The Egyptian students also adopt values such as freedom of thought and other qualifications that may clash with the Egyptian culture.
“At the end of the day those attending foreign schools are a minority of about 10 percent of Egyptian society, however they are the ones who will grow up to rule the country politically and economically, Sadek said.
The students in question agree with the study to a certain extent.
“Graduates of these schools grow up inside a bubble and they are more familiar with their school’s culture than their own, said Omar El-Sayed, a former student at an international school and currently a banker. “They could very well be referred to as westernized.
“However what the people are not aware of is that these schools enforce strict rules in order to abide by the Egyptian culture and it’s the students who choose to follow the western culture they are exposed to by watching movies and traveling.
Others disagree, lauding the kind of education they received at international schools.
“I attended an American school which has always been stereotyped as lenient. What people don’t know is that it taught me to become open-minded, and not the typical meaning of open-minded as partying all night and wearing whatever I what, but being open-minded as in being tolerant for different people and cultures, said Lamiaa Sherif, who currently works at an advertising agency.
