A direct contact between the trainees coming from different disciplines and trainers from specialised cadres in the different field. This kind of training is concerned with theories "applications", acquisition of skills and holding of seminars and workshops.

There are seven main training centres in the governorates of Cairo, Alexendria, Assiut, Aswan, Gharbia, Sharkia and Port Said responsible for the implementation of this kind of training.

At the same time, these centres meet the training requirements for in-service training in the Ministry of Education. They design innovative, transformative and refreshing courses for newly appointed employees as well as other employees at work.

The following table shows the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Education in the field of direct training during the period 1993/1994 and 1998/1999.

It is clear from the pervious tables that programs in the year 98/1999 have an increase of 4.13%; taking into consideration that in 1993/1994 there was no other form of training .

While there is a kind of integration among other forms of training in the following years

This shows the extent of attention given by the Ministry of Education to upgrading the efficiency of the teacher, through continuous training .

Since September 1993 the Ministry began sending training teacher missions abroad in the fields of Science, Mathematics, English Language and French Language. In 93/94 about 339 teachers were sent abroad for training. The number of teachers continues to increase year after year till they reached 1355 teachers in the year 1999 with an increase of 1016 which means a change of 299% .

Teachers are sent every three months annually, in January, April and September; to be trained in selected universities abroad through the Egyptian Cultural offices in England, United States of America, France and Ireland.

Teachers missions are sent to some of the old and famous universities; besides holding a number of training courses to upgrade the scientific level of teachers through using advanced technology and rubbing shoulder with current events in the educational field in these countries .

Literacy and Adult Education

Introduction:

-Egypt considers the issue of education as one of the top priorities of the national work. Since President Hosni Mubarak declared that the development and innovation of education is the National Project of Egypt, the Egyptian government is rendering great efforts for achieving the goal of education for all.

-In 1989 President Mubarak declared the nineties a National Decade for Literacy and Adult Education. During these ten years percentage rates of Illiteracy have been reduced from % 49.4 in 1986 to % 38.6 in 1996, i.e a reduction percentage of % 10.8. This achievement can be obviously noted through the comparison of general statistics concerning the numbers of population during 1986 and 1996; then the percentage reached %34,2 according to the assessment of 1999. Hence, it is one of the great achievements, particularly when conceived in the light of the adopted policy of comprehensive economic reform.

President Mubarak also declared that literacy, for the rest of illiterates, is an urgent and essential objective for realizing development and increasing production. It is important to enhance and mobilize all potentions for the eradication of illiteracy by the beginning of the new century.

The document entitled " Egypt and the Twenty First Century (April 1997) highlights education and training as essential rights for every citizen for they consolidate originality and liberate the personal will. They are important elements for enabling people participate in production and creation through stressing integrated development of the personality of each Egyptian in all its educational, ethical, physical and artistic aspects.

The political leadership expressed complete awareness of the importance of combating illiteracy. The law no.8 was issued in 1991 for literacy and adult education with the aim of mobilizing efforts for the organization of the comprehensive national campaign. The law stipulated the establishment of the General organization of Literacy and Adult Education in 1992. The Organization started carrying out the various planning responsibilities as well as the executive, educational and coordinating efforts among different institutions involved in the implementation of the National Plan of Literacy and Adult Education scheduled for the Decade (1992 – 2001) through its branches in 26 governorates in 251 educational idaras, covering 1047 main villages and 20945 hamlets..

Bearing in mind the targets of the National Campaign for Literacy and Adult Education, and considering the directions addressed by the Minister of Education in his book " Education and the Future", the main objectives of literacy in Egypt are recognized as follows :

Providing illiterates with the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmatic that enable them cope with the professional levels of the various institutions and participute in the different fields of comprehensive development. In addition, they are provided with necessary skills and experiences for vocational fields as well as the basic knowedge included in the different subjects of primary education. Religious beliefs should be intensified, besides inserting the right concepts and behavioural conducts which help illiterates acquire the scientific attitudes and practical skills for solving life problems.

Among other objectives of literacy are, reviving and emphasizing the traditional social trends of the Egyptians and intensifying their application through various every day life activities, while formulating sound attitudes towards continuous education and self learning skills. Illiterates are supposed to reach the level of primary education certificates as a compulsory stage where from they can proceed to the following educational stages.

The following table indicates statistics of population in 1996 related to their distribution during ten years according to the educational status:

Table no. (20)

In the field of developing literacy and adult education curriculae, and in the light of the qualitative objectives identified by the General Plan of Literacy and Adult Education, curriculae have been developed according to the following bases:

The curriculae should reflect the culture of the Egyptian community and meet the educational needs of adult illiterates and requiements of their environments. They should be different from the curriculae scheduled for the young. Integration among school subjects should be noted, and they have to include experiences driven from their lives and interests to encourage them for keeping attendance in the classes and concentrating their attention and following up. A variety of untraditional methods and strategies for teaching should be followed. Teaching in the working sites should be carried out whenever possible. The curriculae should contain an evaluation and assessment systems, in order to improve their application and realize the foreseeable goals. Some learning and reading materials are added to the curricula: they are related to their society and responding to their educational and cultural needs. New educational aids have been created especially for literacy teachers (literacy package- educational aids- creative teacher manual and magnetic blackboard.

The General Organization of Literacy and Adult Education started developing curriculae by issuing the series entitled (learn and get enlightened). It consists of three books which focus on the following subjects :

Life activities, human rights, the over population problems and related different aspects, the environment and how to look after and develop.

The role of the woman as an active part in the society.

In addition, branches of the Organization in the governorates were requested to prepare reading materials based on the environment in which the illiterates live, in order to meet their educational needs, and they were included in the curriculae.

Calligraphy programmes were included as one of the subjects of literacy curriculae to improve the skills of writing. The teacher’s kits were used on a large scale, for they contain computers, posters, maps, enlarged educational models, and cards of letters and words. Other improved teaching aids like the magnetic boards were also used.

In the field of evaluation and assessment of performance, the organizational structure of the Organization has undergone some amendments, represented in adding a new department for the evaluation of performance in order to follow up assessment of examinations in the branches of the Organization in all the governorates, identify problems and difficulties and recognize ways to overcome them.

Efforts carried out by the Ministry of Education for combating illiteracy sources through complete enrollment of children in the compulsory age in primary schools, as well as facing the problems of drop-outs particularly for girls. This is achieved through the project of the One-Class Schools which are established for girls from 8-14 years, besides the Community Schools.

Efforts undertaken in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs especially the establishment of 1808 classes during 1998 for combating illiteracy through 688 NGOs. The numbers of users reached 39606 illiterate males and females.

Efforts undertaken by the National Council for Motherhood and Childhood within the Council’s project of the Comprehensive Development of Literacy for Women within the age 16-35 and the village child. This project targets 50 thousands female illiterates in order to reach the level of the certificate of the first stage of basic education.

Efforts undertaken by the Ministries of Defence and Interior for educating soldiers in their units.

There are other means of cooperation with the Ministries of Information, Higher Education, Awkaf, Rural Development, Health and Population, Manpower, the Cultural Institution for labourers, the National Council for Child’s Culture and the General Association of Private Societies …

Cooperation has been achieved on the regional level between the General Organization of Literacy and Adult Education and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) through the programme entitle " Read, in the name of God" whose material is scientifically based on learning and writing of some verses of the Holy Koran and the Prophet’s speeches.

Another form of cooperation among inistitutions is manifested in the integrated experimental project in the Village (Alsatamony) in Dakahleya Governorate. It targets a scheduled comprehensive development for the village in the fields of education, training, women activities, cultural and guidance activities in agriculture, health, environment …etc.

Cooperation on the international level is carried out with the UNICEF through the establishment of literacy classes and the publication of post literacy books. It is also undertaken with the German Agency of Technical Cooperation (G.T.Z.) through the development of examination systems. Cooperation with the British Federation of International Cooperation (DFID) is designed to cover the training of literacy teachers and activation of the role of vocational training centers in literacy programmes. Cooperation with UNESCO is realized through the financial assistance for the publication of six post literacy books and the production of an education kit for literacy teachers.

In order to enhance linkages between literacy programmes and vocational training to provide illiterates with vocational skills, the Organization has undertaken the responsibility of providing them with training on some handicrafts according to their individual abilities and desires, with the aim of increasing production and promoting the living standard of the families. These handicrafts include : manual carpet weaving , leather and wood productions, sewing, tricotting and hand briodry works for the females, carpentry and electric works, house maintenance and other activities according to their wishes and abilities and to help them acquire the skills of running small scale projects that breeds income.

The number of multi-purpose centers which combine literacy programmes and vocational training has reached 150 centers. Other centers are to be established.

Investment of Information Media for Illiteracy :

An information media campaign has been organized with the aim of inviting and urging the people to participate in combating illiteracy. Several activities have been carried out in this regard. They are :

TV items to aquaint and urge illiterates get enrolled in literacy classes. Local TV channels transmit literacy lessons through different periods in order to give them an opportunity to follow these programmes according to their conditions and circumstances. Information material on the National Campaign of Literacy are transmitted in the different local and central broadcasting networks. Newspapers and media coverage highlight the activities undertaken by the Organization and its affiliated centers in the governorates.

Sixty drama episodes have been transmitted on the literacy lessons (learn and get enlightened).

The Stage of Post Literacy :

In fulfillment of life long, continuous education, and in order to find better circumstances for post literates to avoid their return to the previous condition, while ensuring the utilization of aquired skills and knowledge, the Organization encourages them to continue their progress through the preparatory education (the second stage of basic education). The age of enrollment in the first preparatory grade has been raised to eighteen years old. By 1997 about 9935 were enrolled in the preparatory stage during the period 1997 to 1999 the no. of illiterates joining literacy classes are 36149. During the period 1997 A newspaper under the name of "Enlightenment" is being issued for distribution among classes and centers of literacy and among post literates. Besides, one hundred libraries for post literate reading materials have been established in the governorates in order to encourage reading for all.

The General Organization of Literacy and Adult Education has established a special department for post literates within its premises and at its centers in the governorates. These departments organize training courses for teaching English language, computer uses and word processing. Other training courses for feminine activities are held in order to raise awareness of the female post literates and educating them. There are special training courses for the establishment of projects that render more incomes with the aim of promoting skills of the recent post literates and providing guiding services concerning agricultural activities, health and the environment.

The Organization is having a schedule for the completion of the integrated system of information and support of decision making, during 1999,in addition to the various systems. It is intended to link the central information system of the Organization with its affiliated centers in the governorates through a network of computers and a database on the numbers of illiterates and users of all programmes. The Social Fund for Development supports the governorates with computers according to a set plan. It is also planned to connect the system with the Internet in order to get information on the world activities in the field of literacy and adult education.

The General Organization of Literacy and Adult Education is scheduling future plans for eradicating illiteracy for the rest of illiterates who are 15-35 years old, the drop-outs and those who failed in getting the literacy certificate within the period of the three years, through educating them in four educational courses 9 months each.

Coordination among participating institutions should be realized in order to keep the aforementioned schedules.

Literacy should always be connected with vocational training with the aim of raising the social standard of poor families.

Local and executive institutions should be involved in publicizing the importance of literacy programmes. Country leaders, rural educated people and agricultural guides should take part in these efforts in order to finish this campaign according to the scheduled plan.

Continuous education for all through the different stages of life should be encouraged.

Establishing a department for special education of the deaf within the General Organization of Literacy and Adult Education which should be responsible for the improvement and development of curriculae so as to fit and match with the educational requirements of the deaf, while stressing the importance of preparing a teacher manual for educating the illiterate deaf persons to enable them improve these programmes.

Making use of the educational channel dedicated to combating illiteracy and disseminating through Egyptian NilSat when it begins its programs in literacy, adult education fields, teacher training and launching campaigns in the context of the literacy national campaign.

Inviting educated women to participate in literacy voluntary projects (the educated woman teaches the uneducated woman) in her family, community and village.

Encouraging the formation of women societies to work as the core of women Egyptian Union for Literacy.

Establishing reading clubs for those liberated from illiteracy and expand the process of establishing libraries for them.