Egyptian Authorities refuse to allow Sudanese schools
to resume their educational activities in Cairo
The Cultural Counselor required all school administrators “owners” to fully commit to and respect the Sovereignty and decisions of the host country. Confirming that the decision to close schools is still in effect and that none of the Sudanese schools have obtained a license from the Egyptian Authorities to resume studies.
The Cultural Counselor at the Sudanese Embassy in Cairo issued a notice in the previous hours to Sudanese school administrators “owners” and families in Egypt.
The Counselor stated that no official decision has been received from the educational authorities in Sudan (the Federal Ministry of Education) regarding the academic calendar for Sudanese schools in Egypt, adding that the Egyptian educational authorities haven’t approved Sudanese schools to resume their educational activities.
The Cultural Counselor called on all school administrators “owners” to fully commit to and respect the Sovereignty and decisions of the host country. Confirming that -according to the official government spokesperson platform- that the decision to close schools is still in effect and that none of the Sudanese schools have obtained a license from the Egyptian authorities to resume studies. In addition, calling on the families of students to hold off on the registration process for the new academic year and not to pay fees at all.
The administrators “owners” of schools that announced the beginning of the educational activities were threatened to stop immediately or they will be held accountable, have their licenses withdrawn, and be permanently shut down.
According to Egyptian newspapers, including the government-affiliated (Al-Gomhuria) newspaper, last June, the Egyptian Authorities closed a number of Sudanese schools in Cairo, citing their operation without a license.
The schools affected by the decision included private schools founded by Sudanese as branches of existing schools in Sudan, other completely new schools, and community schools partially or fully funded by the United Nations or international organizations for refugee education.
The Sudanese Teachers Committee had previously warned of new measures the Sudanese Embassy in Cairo was about to implement through the Cultural Advisory, by identifying (50) schools and approving them for Sudanese education.
The Teachers Committee stated that the Cultural Advisory at the Sudanese Embassy in Cairo had approved a limited number of schools in exchange for minimizing the role of centers that were the reason behind reducing the cost of education, which in turn means raising the price of schools and harming thousands of Sudanese children.
The United Nations stated on its official website last April that “Since April 2023, the number of Sudanese refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Egypt has increased fivefold, reaching 300,000 people.”
The Sudanese make up about (4) million of the (9) million “residents and refugees” in Egypt, followed by about (1.5) million Syrians, about one million Yemenis, and one million Libyans, according to estimates reported by the International Organization for Migration.
The Sudanese embassy in Cairo indicated in a statement last June that it is in “constant contact with the Egyptian authorities to find solutions for the school closure crisis and to regularize their conditions.”
