Treffer: Developing Arabic Language Skills in Egypt: Assessing the Implementation and Impact of the National Programme for Developing Arabic Language Skills. Working Paper

Foundational literacy is a crucial step in a child's development. The shift from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" marks a critical turning point, opening the door to all subsequent steps of their education. Yet in Egypt, nearly six in ten children are unable to read or write a simple story by the age of 10. This literacy gap limits their ability to acquire the skills needed to participate in further learning, and subsequently their participation in society and the economy. In February 2025, the National Programme for Developing Arabic Language Skills (NPDA) was launched by the Ministry of Education and Technical Education (MoETE) as an urgent response to the foundational literacy gap. Over a 12-week period, the programme reached 199,225 students in grades 3 to 6, delivering five hours of structured literacy instruction per week (equivalent to 60 hours in total). NPDA provided a comprehensive approach, combining teacher training (provided by the Professional Academy for Teachers), structured lesson plans, and dedicated teaching and learning materials. Implementation was led and monitored by MoETE in collaboration with the National Center for Examinations and Educational Evaluation (NCEEE). This report presents the key findings and recommendations from research conducted on the first stage of the NPDA programme in 980 schools across 10 governorates. The selection of the governorates was based on the lowest scores achieved on a Grade 4 Arabic and mathematics assessment that was conducted by the NCEEE in October, 2023. The primary objective of the research was to generate evidence on implementation and programme effectiveness to inform the planned scale-up. [This report was created with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Egypt.]

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