Professions slam college decrees, big student protests

Recent decrees by Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi to create new colleges of dentistry, pharmacology, physiotherapy and nursing have drawn scathing criticism from professional unions. Meanwhile, last weekend students at 11 public universities staged mass protests in what was dubbed the ‘Day of Student Rage’.

The protesters chanted slogans against the policies of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood led by Mursi, and demanded the release of students recently detained during anti-government demonstrations. There were also student protests following a second case of food poisoning of students at the Islamic seminary’s Al-Azhar University – the second incident in a month.

Responding to the new college decrees Seif Allah Imam, deputy head of the Pharmacology Association, said that they “are not well thought [through] and will not benefit society”. Imam said there were already 34 pharmacology faculties in Egypt’s public and private universities, graduating more than 10,000 pharmacists annually.

“According to international standards, there should be one pharmacist for every 5,000 people. But in Egypt, there is one pharmacist for 1,800 people," he said. "Establishing more pharmacology colleges will mean higher unemployment rates among graduates."

Mursi, an engineering professor who took office in July last year, recently approved the construction of four new private universities, and the introduction of new colleges of dentistry, pharmacology, physiotherapy and nursing into existing private and public universities.

Egypt, a country of 85 million people, has 19 state-owned universities and 18 private ones.

The controversial decrees approved plans to set up six more private dentistry colleges. But Mohamed Abdel Latif, a member of the Dentistry Association, said the new colleges would bring the number of dentisty colleges in public and private universities to 28, including 13 dentistry colleges in the Greater Cairo zone comprising the cities of Cairo, Giza and Qaliubia.

“Around 7,000 students graduate from dentistry colleges every year," he said. "With the new institutions, the figure is expected to rise to 10,000. This means lower incomes and limited training opportunities for new graduates," Abdel Latif told the independent newspaper Al Youm Al Saba.

The Dentistry Association said it had filed a lawsuit to block the creation of the new colleges. It also threatened not to register graduates of the colleges.

Likewise, the Physiotherapy Association has gone to court requesting the annulment of Mursi's decree to set up seven more physiotherapy colleges.

“This decree will increase joblessness rates among physiotherapists," said Mohamed Heba, secretary general of the Physiotherapy Association, adding that it too would not register graduates of the new colleges.

Heba accused the Islamist government of “favouring” businessmen engaged in private university education. “Standards of graduates from the private universities have declined because such institutions are more interested in profits than quality of education.”

Gamal Nawara, head of the Private Universities' Council, defended the plan to open more higher education institutions to cope with Egypt’s growing population.

"The decision to establish more colleges is vital for the nation's interests," he said. Nawara also rejected threats by the associations of dentistry and physiotherapy to bar graduates from new colleges from association membership.

The student action

Last weekend’s student protests slammed Muslim Brotherhood policies, including a recent decision to ban political party activities at universities, and demanded the release of colleagues arrested in recent street demonstrations.

The students also decried what they called the presence of thugs at universities, demanding improved security on campuses. Several universities in Egypt have recently suspended classes due to clashes between rival student groups, or between students and security guards.

“Look at the so-called reform policy in which students’ rights have been lost," chanted hundreds of angry students at Cairo University, Egypt's biggest public university.

Meanwhile, revolutionary students held a mass protest at the state-owned Helwan University in south Cairo. "Down with the guide's rule," they called, referring to the spiritual leader of the ruling Brotherhood.

The slogan echoed a commonly held belief among Egypt's secular opposition that the Brotherhood's Supreme Guide is the de facto ruler of the country.

Anti-government protests were also reported at Cairo-based Ain Shams University and the provincial universities of Alexandria, Menufia, Tanta, Benha, Mansura, Damietta, Suez Canal and Aswan.

The students demanded the sacking of Higher Education Minister Mustafa Musad for alleged mismanagement, downsizing classes and lowering prices of books sold by lecturers.

On Monday and Tuesday, students at Al-Azhar University, Egypt's state-owned Islamic seminary, blocked a major road in Cairo and held mass protests after at least 160 of their colleagues suffered food poisoning in residences.

The poisoning was the second among seminary students in a month. As reported at the time in University World News, the university's president was dismissed after more than 500 students were hospitalised after eating hostel meals in the first incident in early April.

Egypt's universities have seen a series of large protests for various reasons since a popular uprising forced long-serving president Hosni Mubarak to step down in February 2011.