Unions warn of rise in pharmacy, dentistry admissions

Egypt’s professional unions have warned against an increase in numbers of new students attending the country’s schools of pharmacology and dentistry, saying that graduates of both majors already surpass the market needs.

The independent unions are particularly critical of a recent decision by the Supreme Council of Universities, a state-appointed body in charge of the higher education policies in Egypt, allowing students who have scored a minimum of 85% of the aggregate grades in high school examinations to attend schools of pharmacology and dentistry at private universities.

The threshold is 10% lower than the minimum grades set this year for applying to the same schools at public universities.

“The job market does not need such huge numbers of students, as there are already too many dentists,” said Dr Mohamed Abdul Gawad, chair of the Pharmacists’ Association.

With 25 pharmacology schools operating in Egypt, nearly 13,000 students graduate from them annually – almost 10,000 higher than the local market needs – according to the union.

"If I were to make a decision, I would order the closure of pharmacology faculties in the country for five years," said Mohamed Saudi, the union's deputy chair.

Earlier this month, the Pharmacists' Association vowed not to license pharmacology students accepted at universities with the minimum 85% of high school certificate marks.

“Lowering the admission grade limit to this percentage amounts to bias and favouritism towards capitalists, who invest in establishing private universities,” said Haithem Abdul Aziz, a member of the union.

“This admission policy undermines one of the noblest professions. Most private universities are profit-seeking entities that are not interested in the welfare of students, patients and graduates,” he said in press remarks.

Abdul Aziz said the union would take legal action against the Supreme Council of Universities’ admission policy relating to private pharmacology schools.

Dentists agree

The Dentists’ Association has made similar warnings.

"In 2013, the board of our union agreed not to register in its membership graduates of private dentistry schools whose high school marks were lower by more than 5% than those of their counterparts admitted into government-run faculties of dentistry,” said Dr Hussein Abdul Hadi, trustee of the association.

“Our decision was aimed at raising the quality of graduates from private faculties of dentistry.”

According to Abdul Hadi, the union plans to file a lawsuit requesting the higher education authorities to lower the numbers of students enrolled in both public and private dentistry schools.

“In the past five years, the numbers of dentistry graduates have so sharply increased that the supply outstrips job market needs. This spells disaster.”

Last year, the government licensed the establishment of six new private dentistry schools despite opposition from the Dentists’ Association, bringing the total number of dentistry schools to 30.

“Being a partner in drawing up the policy of dentistry education in Egypt per se [under] the law, the Dentists’ Association does not recognise any dentistry school established since 2013,” said Abdul Hadi. “The association has already filed a lawsuit to ban these schools.”

Government angry

The Ministry of Higher Education has reacted angrily to both unions’ warnings.

“The threats made by some professional unions that they will not license certain graduates of private universities make them [the unions] liable under law,” said Minister of Higher Education Sayed Abdel Khaleq.

“These unions have no powers to determine the validity of any certificate issued by a governmental [public] or private university. Such powers belong to universities only and professional unions have to observe this.”

The minister suggested that the unions “play a role” in improving quality of higher education by helping develop curricula and organise training courses for graduates.

“However, these unions have no right to license graduates on the basis of where they have studied. This discrimination will not be allowed.”