EGYPT: Private universities in 'gap year' doldrums

To Egypt's over-stretched public universities it is a godsend but to private universities the results of the 'gap year', in which far fewer secondary school leavers are attending universities, is a major problem.

"Faculties of our university have attracted very few fresh students compared to our facilities," said Ahmed Attia, President of the October 6 University, one of Egypt's 18 private universities.

"But the university board of trustees has directed that the academic year should proceed as usual until this crisis is over. We plan to make use of the fewer numbers of new students in order to develop our facilities," he added.

In the late 1980s, for economic reasons, the Egyptian authorities cancelled the sixth grade in schools. But it was reintroduced in 2005, with the government admitting that the cancellation had adversely affected the education system and the performance of pupils.

In theory, Egypt should have no students in the final year of secondary school in 2010. The 70,000 students who sat school-leaving certificate exams this year had either failed them last year and had to resit, or could not take the exams last year for 'compulsory' reasons, because they were ill.

Some 35,379 of the students passed this year's examinations, according to official figures, and around 30% of them applied to attend private universities, with the other successful students admitted into public universities.

Last year, Egypt's public and private universities admitted around 400,000 new students. Officials at government-run universities, which are often under-funded and over-crowded, have also said the sharp drop in the number of new enrolments this year is a welcome chance to revamp facilities.

But the situation is different for private universities, who depend on free income.

"For sure, the education process is affected by market economics. Accordingly, university education is feeling the effect of the so-called gap year. Private universities in particular are bearing the brunt in business terms," said Shebl al-Koumi, President of International Misr University, another private university in Egypt.

"However, this year is a golden chance for the governmental universities, which they should seize for reform. In fact, all higher education institutions should take advantage of this unprecedented situation to overhaul curricula and labs," he added in remarks to the press.

The new academic year started in Egypt on 18 September. No private university has been able this year to attract the 26,000 new enrolments set for them by the Ministry of Higher Education. The deadline for admission to private universities has been extended until mid-October.

In an apparent bid to encourage enrolments, several private institutions have unveiled incentive packages including partial or whole scholarships. Others have declared there are no plans to raise admission fees.

"Our university has not raised its fees," said Farouk Abdel Qader, President of the privately-owned Sinai University. "Moreover, the university has provided 350 free grants to brilliant students from the Sinai Peninsula, besides 750 grants offering 15% to 85% cuts in admission fees."

Likewise, the private Modern University for Technology and Information has said it will exempt students who scored high marks in the school-leaving certificate examinations from paying admission fees.