Egypt Ministry of Education denies rumors of 60-day school year extension

The Egyptian Ministry of Education and Technical Education has denied social media rumors claiming the new school year will be extended by 60 days. Dr. Akram Hassan, Assistant Minister for Curriculum Development, clarified that the 2026/2027 academic year will only begin one week earlier than the previous year, increasing the duration from 30 weeks to 31 weeks.

The ministry explained that this slight increase is intended to ensure sufficient hours are available to cover the curriculum within school hours, thereby reducing student reliance on private tutoring. Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif noted that the total number of school days will reach 183 days for the upcoming year, a gradual increase from 116 days in the 2023/2024 period, aiming to align with international standards of 185 to 200 days.

The academic year is scheduled to begin on September 6, 2026, for international schools, and September 12, 2026, for government, official, language, private, and national schools.