The Paris-based educational group, Open Sky International, has announced the opening of its first school in Cairo offering bilingual French and English education, in addition to teaching Arabic to a high standard.
With the full support of Egypt’s Ministry of Education and the French Embassy in Egypt, the group’s first school in Egypt will welcome 180 pre-school and primary school children in September 2021. It added that it plans to open 10 additional schools in Egypt by 2025.
During an event to discuss strengthening French-Egyptian relations, Reda Hegazy, Deputy Minister of Education, confirmed that establishing French schools in Egypt emphasised the cultural bonds between the two countries.
Hegazy emphasised Egypt’s keenness for the French education system, which occupies a prominent position worldwide, as it produces distinguished graduates able to face the changing labour market.
Emmanuel Fayad, owner of Open Sky International, said on Wednesday that education is a transfer of values and norms between countries, and serves as the best tool for guiding young people to a better future.
Fayad asserted that there is no better way to exchange cultures than to exchange languages. The school will reach for this goal by teaching English, French, and Arabic, with the curriculum to also include free education programmes focusing on literary and historical sciences.
Speaking to Daily News Egypt, Fayad said that the school will have only one programme for French, English, and Arabic studies, with 40% of the curriculum in French and 40% in English.
Fayad added that about 20% of the curriculum will be in Arabic, with the Arabic and religious studies curricula to be implemented and supervised by Egypt’s Ministry of Education.
He indicated that the first school will be open in the Heliopolis district of Cairo, and will be open for students in Kindergarten to Grade 6.
Fayad also asserted that Open Sky International had invested about €100m to build the schools, and to train both Egyptian and French teachers.
