Cairo – Mubasher: Egypt has signed a $500 million loan with the World Bank during 2018 Spring Meetings in Washington to bolster the North African nation’s integrated strategy to develop pre-tertiary education.

The deal was signed by Egyptian investment minister Sahar Nasr, Egyptian education minister Tarek Shawki, and the bank’s regional director in Cairo Asad Alam, according to the investment ministry's statement.

Nasr described the loan as the biggest support for education development in Egypt as it will be used to implement quality standards for approximately 500,000 children in kindergarten.

Around 500,000 teachers and officials at the education ministry will be trained within the framework of the deal, she added, pointing out that digital learning sources will be available for about 1.5 million students and teachers.

For his part, Shawki said that the loan will support the five-year education reform programme in Egypt, develop education scheme through initiatives that focus on the vital role of reforming the education sector in an effort to improve the society.

On 14 April 2018, the World Bank announced it would grant Egypt a $500 million loan to conduct reforms in the education sector, mainly government schools.