Egypt govt streamlines exam process for expats

(MENAFN- Arab News) Egyptian students the largest expatriate community in the kingdom concluded their annual exams peacefully recently.

students of the primary preparatory and secondary level sat for the exams under the 'our students abroad' scheme especially devised for the children of egyptian expatriates. this year the new military regime has introduced several strict measures to prevent copying or cheating during the exams and special inspection teams have arrived in the kingdom to keep a check on the examination process according to sources.

mustafa abdul jawwad of the egyptian embassy told arab news that this year had recorded the highest number of egyptian students appearing for the examinations. 'a total of 42000 students sat for the exam in 21 centers across the kingdom" he said adding that 11500 students were from riyadh alone with 7500 from jeddah.

he said that the egyptian education ministry had introduced a series of measures to curb cheating and fraud in the exams and ensured that these measures were strictly implemented on egyptian students abroad as well. he informed that cairo had deputed special inspection teams to ensure that the exams were hassle free and conducted in accordance with the strict measures.

in the past the egyptian government had made it compulsory for egyptian students who are applying for undergraduate programs in their country to pass an achievement test and a skills test gaining at least 30 percent in the latter to qualify for a place at their chosen university sources told arab news.

alallah el khalid an egyptian residing in the kingdom for the past 40 years said that egyptian expatriates have been pushing to have the mandatory achievement and skills tests abolished for the last three years. the egyptian authorities have finally agreed and the ministry of higher education has forwarded their demand to egypt's supreme council of universities he added.

this development may have had an impact on the number of students who sat for their examinations this year which surged to record levels.