Q: Can you introduce yourself?
A: My name is Nichola, I am from South Sudan. I am the principal of El-Matariya Adventist Sudanese School. We are finding many challenges. The main challenge to our school was COVID-19. Our students lost one semester, and then after the summer of 2020, we wanted to do the two other semesters online. But this was a problem because most of the parents did not have access to the internet, so we could just do online classes for grade 8 and senior 3. For the others, we invented a system based on the parents that came here. They picked up the homework, and then once done, they brought us the homework back for correction.
Q: Which kind of communication do you have with the parents?
A: Communication with the parents is fundamental, but in many learning centers there is no proper communication. We have the phone number and the details of each parent. At the beginning of the school year, we always meet the parents, and we inform them about the new academic year and our policy. We also provide them with a handbook. But then we noticed that most of the parents are illiterate and do not know how to read. We discovered this after we created a WhatsApp group with them. We sent messages in both English and Arabic, and we also send a voice note explaining everything in English and Arabic to make sure that those that do not read can also understand it.
Q: How many students do you have?
A: We have around 370. We just do one shift from 7.30 am up to 13.15.
Q: When was the school founded?
A: It was founded in 2003. At that time it was functioning under the community, but then the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Egypt took control of the school. They gave us the building, so we do not pay rent. The church also employs teachers and staff. The church took the school in 2019. Before they took over we were asking the church for money and help, and then they proposed that for us. Since the church took over the children pray every morning before entering class.
Q: Do the students pay school fees, books, and uniforms?
A: Yes they pay school fees. The administration costs include books and uniforms. Those both are really expensive, for example, we buy the books from the Combonis but we cannot buy all the books because to do that we should be buying at least 1000 books, so what we do is we buy hard copies and then we copy it here. Then the uniforms. Students have three pieces, trousers, a shirt, and a jacket. Each piece costs around 150 EgP and altogether the uniform costs around 400 EgP more than they need to pay. We face big challenges.
Q: And how much do they pay for school fees?
A: They pay 600 EgP but even though, we have big problems, we have debts
Q: Which levels do you have?
A: We have KG that is not under the church but the church will take it next year. We have primary and secondary education.
Q: How many teachers do you have?
A: We have 19 teachers in total. Some are part-time and some full-time teachers. Part-time teachers are university students that are specialized in specific subjects like biology and chemistry for senior 3. They help our students to prepare for the exams. We have now 2 part-time teachers. Other teachers are full-time.
Q: Why do you put part-time teachers in senior 1,2,3?
A: Because we realize that our students need to get better prepared for the exams. This happens when university students who also did these exams and know exactly how it works, teach them. It is true that the science section is universal, but the Sudanese exam is done in a specific way and you must know how to do it.
Q: Are your teachers qualified?
A: The majority have a bachelor’s degree, but this is not a requirement.
Q: How much do you pay your teachers?
A: We pay each teacher 3000 EgP/month.
Q: When you need to find new teachers how do you do it?
A: Well, at the end of the academic year we make an assessment and ask the teachers who are leaving and who are willing to continue. For the positions of those who leave we advertise and announce the open positions. Then candidates send their applications and we send their applications to the church administration. And it is the church that decides who to recruit. This is good because the church has experience in finding qualified teachers. The church is also running many other schools like the Nile Union Academy. But you know around a 90% of our teachers want to stay with us because we always make sure that we pay them their salaries on time, but many other centers have huge delays in that.
Q: How many classrooms do you have?
A: I have 12 classrooms, 6 up and 6 down. One class for each grade but each grade has its own break, the average size is 25, but in grade 8 and grade 7 we have around 45 students. But then, for example, in senior 3 we have 11 students that will take the exam. Today the students have their mock exam. All the students from other learning centers such as Great Equatoria, Rising Star, Winners, Success, and Sobat, will come and take a simulation for grade 8.
Q: Last year in senior 3 how many students took the exam?
A: Last year we had around 22 students in the senior 3 exams but not all of them sit for the exam because they were surprised to hear about the cost of 550$. Of the 22 students we had only 11 sat for their exam. In previous years the cost was 250$ but the Embassy changed it, and many children cannot afford that. Of these eleven 7 passed and 4 failed. Sudanese nationals just pay 80$ for the senior 3 exams.
Q: Among your students was there any non-Sudanese nationality?
A: No, one of them was from Eritrea, but he did not pass the exam. Actually, this is the system of the Egyptian government. In the Wafidin they only give the stamp to those nationalities that have a good relationship with Egypt, mostly Arabic-speaking countries. So maybe someone from Eritrea and Ethiopia cannot enter a public university in Egypt. Well, they can actually go to private universities and pay a lot of money. They cannot enter a public university.
Q: So this student would have been rejected at university?
A: He has the Sudanese certificate, but the problem is with the nationality because at the Wafidin they will ask you about your nationality and if your nationality does not belong to the accepted ones at the Wafidin, then you have no choice but go to a private university. Hence, this guy might be rejected at an Egyptian university.
Q: So why are you encouraging him to take the exam, and waste money and time?
A: Some of them take the exam because they still have hope that they might have the chance to get accepted or not. Also taking this exam allows them for example to apply to the UNHCR for a scholarship because they need a secondary school certificate.
Q: You follow the Sudanese curriculum in English?
A: Yes, but this year we started to notice that something must change. Our students are paying a lot of money for doing the exam and this is not sustainable at all. For this reason next year we will introduce the South Sudanese curriculum and take the South Sudanese exam. This year we already introduced the South Sudanese curriculum from grade 1 to grade 7, so next year our students in grade 8 can take the South Sudanese curriculum. And we have the license to do that. Our children can go to the South-Sudanese Embassy in Cairo and take the exams here, the exams can be provided to them.
Q: Which relation do you have with the Ministry of Education in Egypt?
A: No, we do not have any direct relationship with the government. Our umbrella is the South Sudanese Teachers Union. If there is anything we contact the Union, the Union contacts the Embassy, and the Embassy contacts government authorities.
Q: Which relation do you have with Catholic Relief Services (CRS)?
A: We have a close relationship with CRS. They gave money to the students under the protection of UNHCR. They also are planning to come to paint our school.
Q: Do you feed the kids?
A: Actually when I came here they used to feed the kids, and this was provided by the US Embassy I think, but now they stopped that. We wish we could feed them because sometimes they come to you and say to you that they are hungry.
Q: How do you feel about the translation of the textbooks?
A: There is a big problem with the translation. In Sudan, textbooks are translated by a governmental institution called Partarela. This is also the institution that translates the exams, and the translations are so bad. They use google translate. They also offer books, they translate the books from Arabic to English. But we use the Comboni translations because they are a little bit better. It is easier for the students to understand it, but there are still mistakes, and also for the students it is hard to remember the Arabic nouns.
Q: Do you have more students in the science section than in the art section?
A: Yes, I think it is because students know that if you do the science section it is easier to pass the exam because the answer is right or wrong. But in the arts section, you need to read a lot and write a lot, so it is harder to pass the exam. Most of the art section students fail while most of the science section students pass.
Q: How do you feel about South-Sudanese books?
A: I think they are better. First of all, they are written directly in English so the level is much higher. Secondly, those who finance the books are UNICEF and USAID for the American People. This means that they need to supervise and approve the books, those institutions are truthful.
Q: Do you think it will be a challenge to change the curriculum and books?
A: Well, we already introduced the South-Sudanese books from K1 to K7, and it was kind of challenging because they were used to the Sudanese books whose English level is really bad, so now the level is higher and they need to study and focus more.
Q: Is the South Sudanese Embassy willing to allow you to do the exams?
A: Yes they are, but you know some learning centers under the South-Sudanese umbrella that are following the Sudanese curriculum in Arabic would not accept to change because that means that they need to start teaching in English, but as soon as the South-Sudanese embassy sees that enough of our children are following the curriculum and are prepared for the exams, they will bring again the exams.
Q: Do you know if the Eritrean community also has a teaching association?
A: Actually, Eritreans normally sit for the Sudanese exam because there is a license. The Eritrean community has not done anything to obtain this license. They have not asked the Eritrean Embassy to talk with the Ministry of Education in Egypt and try to get that license that allows the Eritrean curriculum and that allows them to sit for the exams. So what happens is that many communities are using our license, for example, the Nigerian schools. They are called Nigerian schools but they are using our curriculum, and they are also under the umbrella of the Teachers Union and receiving protection from the South-Sudanese Embassy or Sudanese.
Q: And what about Syrians and Yemenis?
A: I know that at the moment in Cairo just three nationalities have licenses in Cairo: Syrians, Sudanese and South Sudanese. The Syrians have their own curriculum. If you go to the CRS website you can download the Syrian curriculum from there, as well as the Sudanese curriculum. When it comes to South Sudan we also have the license, but the CRS before uploading the books want to see that enough learning centers are using the South Sudanese curriculum.
Q: You just have a partnership with CRS.
A: Yes, but this year it is the first time that someone from the UNHCR came directly here. They interviewed me and asked me about the challenges, the rent, everything, but they never said anything about support. I told them that the main challenge that I face is the cost of electricity. We pay a lot for electricity like 7.800 EgP per month, much more than the cost of the rent.
Q: Would you like to share with me any other challenge?
A: Another challenge that we used to have earlier was the neighbors. They just throw all the garbage and rubbish in front of our school, they did this because of racism. We tried our best to improve the situation. We asked them to stop everything, but finally, the parents came up with a solution. Each parent would pay 20 EgP extra every month for contracting an Egyptian guard who would be there just to make sure that no one would be bothering us. It is very important that he is Egyptian because if you are Sudanese and you are there, people will not listen to you. And now it is getting better. They still throw sometimes, but not as much as before. You know then once CRS came and we explained to them that also people sometimes throw rubbish over the fence, so they came here and built for us a much higher fence.
Q: Do you face any other challenges?
A: Yes, the Sudanese gangs. Our students face a lot of problems with them. These gangs used to come to our school and wait outside for our children. They carry knives and usually rob our students. But you know even some of the members of the Sudanese gangs are students here, and they tell other gang members that they need to after that guy there, he is weak and he is doing everyday this and that. They inform the gangs about his route for going home, so they target them. They have connections, and we know it and from the school, we do our best to try to find out who is involved with these gangs. For example, one day we found two of our students, one in senior 2 and one in senior 3 that were in those gangs, and carrying a knife, so we called their parents. But that is not the usual thing. Most of the students that are also part of the gangs are the ones between grade 5 to grade 8. But then there are also gangs of adults.
Q: Do you have in this area a lot of gangs?
A: No, but most of the gangs are in Ain-Shams so they come here
Q: Do you have any stories?
A: Well we have a student who was injured by those gangs, but the most common cases are robbery
Q: Have you thought about any solution?
A: We have been thinking about many solutions. We earlier had many of our students come late in the morning because if they would not do this they knew that they would encounter the Sudanese gangs on their way. Then we asked them why that was happening and they explained it to us. So we allowed them to come late in the morning. Another solution is the parents. We contact them and make sure that the parents can bring the students to school and pick them up here. But you know, many parents work. So we exposed the problem to CRS but they told us that their responsibility was to take care of the refugees inside schools. So what we did was contacting the Embassy, because all those guys from the gangs are South-Sudanese, and the Embassy told us that they cannot do anything because those guys mostly carry the blue card. So when they are detained and taken into custody the UNHCR comes and pays money to free them, and everything starts again. And you know the Egyptian police does not do anything. They tell you that this is not their business, and it is also okay for them to have those gangs because every time they go to jail and the UNHCR comes to free them, it is money for the government.
