Death of third schoolchild in a week raises questions

General Prosecutor Hesham Barakat ordered an investigation on Tuesday into the death of a third-year primary school student in Atfeeh, south of Giza.

The victim was run over by a truck distributing school meals on Monday. The driver claimed the child’s death was an accident, as he failed to see him while reversing, and that he tried to resuscitate him without success.

There has been an unusual spate of deaths among school children since the beginning of the new school year.

Earlier this week, a seven-year-old student died after the school gate fell, crushing him in Marsa Matrouh. Last Tuesday, a nine-year-old student died in Cairo after a sheet of glass from a window fell on his head.

A number of hospitals reportedly refused to admit the nine-year-old victim, including Matareya and Zeitoun hospitals, while Ain Shams hospital also allegedly refused to admit him until his father paid LE10,000 leaving him to bleed out from 8 am to 1 pm, when he passed away.

In response, Education Minister Mahmoud Abul Nasr announced on Tuesday the formation of several new committees to monitor maintenance issues at 48,000 public schools across the country.

The ministry is also coordinating with the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation to assess the “security situation” in schools, in line with safety measures stipulated by the Educational Buildings Authority, state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported.

In his statement, the minister mourned the deaths of the three students, “whether due to negligence or fate,” saying it is a very painful situation for any Egyptian.

He added that measures were being taken to hold all those involved accountable, including employees responsible for maintenance and the heads of educational building authorities.

Abul Nasr asserted that the head of the educational directorate in Matrouh governorate was fired due to negligence, and for “claiming that everything was fine, when in reality it wasn’t.” He also confirmed that immediate investigations were being carried out regarding complaints filed with the ministry.

However, Abul Nasr justified his own position, saying the responsibilities falling on the ministry’s shoulders are vast, concerning 18.5 million students and 1.5 million teachers. He added that change needs a long time to be implemented.

He reasserted that the ministry is trying to develop its performance, train staff, and adjust curricula to cope with the changes of the modern world.

According to Abul Nasr, 30 percent of the curriculum has been changed so far, and the rest will be tackled over the next two years. New subjects that enhance thinking skills will be taught to preparatory school students, while subjects on “values and behavior” are being introduced for primary school students, “to build good and exceptional citizens,” the statement added.

The ministry is reportedly adopting a number of new projects, including the “supporting school program,” in which 279 schools have been selected to provide support for 10 adjacent schools.