Skip to main content

Egypt contemplates doing away with printed textbooks

A proposal to end the production of free textbooks and make better versions available in an electronic format poses a threat to the state-owned publishing houses that rely on this work.
Egyptian_Online_Learning1.jpg
Read in 

CAIRO — Hala Abu Saad, parliament member and representative of Egypt's Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Committee, submitted a proposal to parliament April 5 to halt the printing of free textbooks and instead make them available in electronic format. The proposal is designed to spare the state the printing cost, which is estimated at 1.8 billion Egyptian pounds ($100 million), and curb the 2016/2017 fiscal year budget deficit of 319.46 billion pounds ($17.5 billion).

The proposal has sparked debate in parliament. While some lawmakers have welcomed the idea as a way to keep up with technological advancements and make good use of modern technologies to save and efficiently allocate taxpayers’ money, others rejected it, citing concerns about the availability of resources such as internet access and equipment in computer labs.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.