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The intelligent young man said: You have made it clear to us that character building is a basic pillar of the Education Vision 2030. Is there a clear methodology for the state in this matter?
I said: Building the individual personality is the basis for building the entire nation. Therefore, I believe that care must be taken not to leave the process of upbringing, forming and raising the Egyptian character through education to chance or spontaneity without a deliberate and systematic planning. The philosophy of education in any society must aim and work to highlight each of the identity and the basic elements of the culture of the society and to continue to update it, in a positive and with an integrated long-term view.
Another young woman said: Is the Egyptian identity linked to the Arabic language?
I said: Identity is not an abstract emotional concept. However, the Arabic language is the most important tool for communication and interaction between groups and culture. Contemporary analytic philosophy has proven that language is not just a tool for communication such as the shouts and signs of animals, nor is it a container for meaning only, but it is part of the fabric of thinking and a raw material of consciousness, and it may be the most important factors in shaping personality and national identity. And if this is the function of language for the individual, then it is also for the group and society. Also, the connection of the individual and the group to the history and present of the homeland is an essential component in the formation of identity. Our Egyptian identity is linked to our history, geography, Nile, enlightenment of our intellectuals, our song and our music, with our dialect and language structure.
Another young man said: Does the plurality of education systems have a negative impact on the Egyptian society?
I said: There are two different approaches in this matter, one of which is represented by a number of psychologists and sociologists who point out that the identity of education is a natural product of the identity of the nation at a certain point in time, and not the other way around, and that education does not create identity but only reflects, confirms and supports identity. Hence, the multiplicity of educational systems in any society necessarily reflects the multiplicity of identities, and that individuals choose from among the various educational systems according to a number of different indicators they have, including their class and ethnic affiliations, their economic and social level, their values, and the opportunities available to them in order to obtain a profession or work as a result. To enroll in education systems, to other reasons that may affect their decisions to enroll in a particular education system and to prefer it over other systems available in society.
The second approach, which I believe in, presents the necessity of having a methodological framework that does not make education a reflection of society only, but also emphasizes the importance of education in creating identity through a vision and policies that analyze reality and foresee the future. Therefore, I realize the importance of the discussion about the integration of educational systems in Egypt, as the movement of economic, political and social history has produced multiple tracks in Egyptian education. These paths are what is called the term “dualism in education” or pluralism in education systems. The term refers to four cases:
1. The duality between the general education system and the Azhar religious education system at the level of schools and universities.
2. The duplication between free government education and government education with fees, whether in schools or universities.
3. The duality between general education and technical education.
4. The duality between national education and foreign education in terms of the language of instruction and the content of the curricula.
The question posed here is: Is it better for education in Egypt to be characterized by one characteristic, character and mould? Or is the identity of education in Egypt achieved by its distinction, through the presence of more than one character that allows those wishing to learn to choose what suits them from among the various models?
Some fear that the multiplicity of education systems and the intensity of competition between them may lead to a contraction or expansion of certain patterns at the expense of other educational models and systems, a fear stemming from the low level of our educational system.
The other opinion is based on the fact that the multiplicity of models is considered a useful matter and results in a multiplicity and diversity of experiences that a person can be exposed to in his upbringing through education systems, which affect the formulation of his personality through multiple outputs and forms through which areas of creativity can be achieved, which appear from the multiplicity and availability different education systems.
I believe that pluralism in education systems should not in any way negatively affect the national identity, but rather it should enrich and support it. Identity must be viewed as not something fixed but a changing thing, and that Egypt and throughout its history went through historical stages that affected its identity, including The Pharaonic, Coptic, Greek, Roman and Islamic era, then the current era in which globalization plays a major role as a result of the knowledge revolution and its means of transmission, and the openness of societies to the cultures of other nations in a way that may be impossible to prevent except by suppressing freedoms or closing communication outlets with the world, which cannot happen now.
The education provided to children and youth must meet specific standards. If these announced and agreed-upon criteria are clear, guarantor of the identity of the citizen and enhancing his culture, and emphasizing the Arabic language and the history of Egypt, and supportive of the trend towards science, scientific research, mathematics, and technology and proven by the values of quality, proficiency and respect for the other opinion. Dealing with the difference in teaching and learning methods, innovation and creativity in them becomes an addition and integration, not duplication and dispersal.
The same applies to religious education at all levels, whose quality standards must also be determined in its institutions, what is expected of its outputs, experts in it, and scholars from its professors and imams define these standards, and the indicators that should be used to follow up its education and evaluate the performance of its institutions with the same scientific approach in order to achieve its goals. Determine the hope for its outputs.
The practical young woman said: The question arises now.. What should we do?.. I said: Whatever we will do, it is definitely not leaving things to chance. and foreign) common general principles through binding standards for all educational institutions to be adopted
Through the Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Education, the integration we seek in the personality is achieved, provided that these rules contain a system of values inspired by the values of religions, language and history, thus achieving diversity, tolerance, acceptance of others and democracy, establishing the ethics of scientific and critical thinking, and developing abilities of creativity and continuous mental enlightenment. Institutions concerned with forming an opinion should be integrated into this system of standards.
The legitimate fear of losing identity through the plurality of education systems should not be confronted by fighting the different systems, or closing the outlets to pluralism, but by emphasizing that all systems, whatever they are, should contain the basics determined by the Egyptian state in the Arabic language, history, national education and geography… at every educational stage. of the age of the pupils.
The easiest thing is to call for demolition and closing new outlets, instead of building on the opportunity to follow global experiences on the land of Egypt, and to work positively so that these systems include the basics of national identity, as we define them.
