Egypt to launch preschool education in mosques

Egypt’s Ministries of Religious Endowments and Education have announced a joint initiative to introduce pre-primary education in mosques, starting with a pilot programme in Qena Governorate ahead of a planned nationwide rollout. According to a joint statement on Wednesday, the project will utilise mosque spaces during morning hours for kindergarten programmes. Under the plan, the […]

Egypt’s Ministries of Religious Endowments and Education have announced a joint initiative to introduce pre-primary education in mosques, starting with a pilot programme in Qena Governorate ahead of a planned nationwide rollout.

According to a joint statement on Wednesday, the project will utilise mosque spaces during morning hours for kindergarten programmes.

Under the plan, the Education Ministry will assign qualified teachers to lead sessions combining educational and recreational activities, with appropriate learning materials and playground equipment. Selected mosques-initially one per village-will be furnished accordingly, with all materials removed before midday prayers.

Religious Endowments Minister Osama El-Azhari emphasised the role of mosques in supporting early education and fostering literacy, ethics, and national identity among young children, especially amid increasing exposure to digital content. 

Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif affirmed his ministry’s commitment to strengthening both moral and academic foundations in early childhood education.

The initiative comes amid broader efforts to expand access to preschool services. 

According to the Ministry of Social Solidarity, Egypt currently has 16,560 registered nurseries, which meet only 8 per cent of the national need, with 621,806 children enrolled.

To address the gap, the ministry launched a nationwide nursery inventory in June aimed at boosting nursery capacity, improving operations, and raising enrollment rates. (Ahram Online)