Two recent government solutions involving secondary education reveal the Egyptian state’s incompetency in resolving modern problems related to Egypt’s education.
Questions to the high school final exam were leaked on a Facebook page, which exposed weak Egyptian state institutions, and the official response has been even more confusing. (Read more here.)
On June 4, the government called off the high school religious exam and postponed it later in June.
Two recent government solutions involving secondary education reveal the Egyptian state’s incompetency in resolving modern problems related to Egypt’s education.
Questions to the high school final exam were leaked on a Facebook page, which exposed weak Egyptian state institutions, and the official response has been even more confusing. (Read more here.)
On June 4, the government called off the high school religious exam and postponed it later in June.
Official and civil comments and descriptions of the leak varied, but interestingly, the state dealt calmly and bureaucratically with it. It canceled the exams of half a million students. The prosecution initiated an investigation and security services prosecuted dozens of relevant defendants. The event turned into a criminal and administrative issue. Even when a few thousand students tried to pretend, the state responded in accordance with its usual security policies; it dispersed demonstrators with tear gas and then chased them in alleys in front of the Ministry of Education and streets leading to Tahrir Square. However, a reference in President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s speech made at a Ramadan breakfast ceremony after the postponed exam drew attention that what happened was actually a big bang that actually happened a long time ago with its repercussions only emerging now.
Paternalism
Several selected groups attended the ‘Egyptian Family Breakfast’ organized by the Presidency or the President. The inviter may be understood as a family member or head, the father, the older brother, or, with good faith to avoid saying naivety, their money keeper.
Whoever the inviter is, we are within family relationships. Linking the guests with el-Sisi’s words however would easily reveal that the inviter is a person who sees himself as the father with all his legendary connotations with his guests acting as his children. Those outside the ceremony are at best forgotten if not expelled from the family home.
El-Sisi is a responsible father who knew and felt nettled from the leak, brining good news to millions of people that the National Defense Council (NDC) discussed the matter and promised that next year’s exams would not witness such events again.
Are these words verbal relievers? What do these references about specific dates mean: “In September, the President’s Advisory Education Board will discuss the whole problem,” and “The solution is next year.” What is the NDC and what does it have to do with the leak?
Finding meaningful information on the NDC must begin by scrutinizing the Egyptian Constitution as amended in January 18, 2014.
System of government
In Part V ‘The System of Government’, Chapter VIII ‘The Armed Forces and the Police,’ there is Section II ‘National Defense Council,’ where Article thereof 203 talks about it. Nonetheless, curiosity and perhaps confusing lead to Section IV ‘National Security Council’ (NSC) and Article 205 thereof.
In Article 205, it states that the NSC shall be responsible for developing national security strategies and plans to face disasters and crises of all kinds, taking the necessary measures to contain them, identifying sources of threat to national security at home and abroad, and identifying necessary actions to address them at both official and popular levels. The NSC may invite relevant experts to attend its meetings without having the right to vote. Law shall determine NSCs other competences and regulations.”
In Article 203 it states that the NDC shall examine the matters pertaining to national security and integrity of the country and discuss the budget of the armed forces, which shall be included as item one in the state budget. The NDC shall be consulted regarding draft laws on armed forces. NDCs other functions shall be specified by Law. Upon discussing the budget, the Head of Financial Affairs of the Armed Forces, the Head of HoR Planning and Budgeting Committee and DNSC Head shall join the meeting. The President may invite any relevant expert to attend NDC meetings without having the right to vote.”
The extremely easy question now, without leaking the answer, is: If the President, or a responsible father, wants to discuss a matter relating to education, at the meeting of which council should he raise the issue?
Mandatory questions
The Ministries of Education, Interior and Communications have been cooperating for two years to follow-up high school exams and address exam cheating of various old and modern, collective and individual, and paper and electronic forms, which have been announced as limited since 2008. The three ministries constitute committees, allocate budgets, import devices and hold meetings. An additional question here is: Since this cooperation proved to be an utter failure on June 4, which of the two councils should convoke the father president?
Your answers, dear readers, are wrong. El-Sisi discussed the leak at a meeting of the NDC, which is of military majority rather than of the NSC which is of civilian majority. He did not discuss it in the council that includes the ministers of Education and Communication, but in a council responsible for examining matters pertaining to preserving the security and integrity of the country; determining the military, political objective; approving the document of military policy and aligning it with all specialized policies, especially foreign affairs; issuing military and political guidance; studying defense issues and the combat readiness of the armed forces to achieve the political goals of the state; coordinating the efforts of all government and political institutions to defend the state; examining mechanisms for continuous supply of raw materials and food to the armed forces; identifying the form and composition of civil protection; looking into the measures of preparing the state and people to defend themselves against aggression; examining and drafting treaties and agreements on military affairs and national security as well as measures related to the strengthening of military cooperation among Arab countries; and discussing the armed forces’ budget.
Security and defense do not come together
Is it just a confusion of competencies? Or did the NDC’s meeting coincide with the leak so the President asked it to discuss a matter beyond its competence? Or is the issue more complicated?
Article I of both laws of the NSC and NDC states: “The President shall convene the Council quarterly and whenever needed.” However, the NDC had not convened for six months, and its meeting before the last one was in January. This means that the NDC, and in fact the President himself since the NDC is only convened by the President, committed a procedural mistake; at least by failing to convene for six months while the country is in a war against terrorism. Strangely and incomprehensibly too, a council of such a composition and under these circumstances discussed an issue that did not concern it and in the absence of those concerned.
The NSC held its last meeting on May 18 and 19. The Egyptian plane that fell in the Mediterranean while returning from Paris topped the agenda. Back then, the NSC too committed a procedural mistake by not convening for six months, which is also strange.
Are there any obstacles to the quarterly meetings of two national councils in charge of such serious tasks, national security and defense? Does this raise suspicions of different visions that prevent them from convening? Do they only nominally sign decisions? Should Egyptians be reassured of el-Sisi’s good news brought during the Egyptian Family Breakfast? Can education be discussed in details under such circumstances and in such meetings?
The truth is that the Egyptian education credibility was smashed on June 4. This is not a setback, but an absolute defeat. It is a defeat of the system of government, the Constitution, security and defense, and perhaps the patriarchal family relations that discuss and decide the affairs of millions of people in their absence and with the wrong people in the wrong places.
