National Geographic Learning Partners with the Egyptian Ministry of Education, Bringing the World to the Classroom for Nearly 7 Million Learners

BOSTON and CAIRO—October 13, 2021 — National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Group brand, today announced they have entered a long-term partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Education, providing grade 4-6 curriculum to nearly seven million students in Egypt.

This partnership, which will deliver print and digital classroom materials, is part of Education Minister Dr. Tarek Shawki’s Education 2.0 vision – a full-scale transformation of Egypt’s education system by 2030 – underpinned by a focus on life skills, creativity, critical thinking and Egyptian pride. With more than 20 million students enrolled in K-12, Egypt has the largest education system in the Middle East and Africa. However, education in Egypt has not historically been aligned with preparing students with the 21st century problem-solving skills needed to build meaningful careers.   

“We want students to learn for life, not for an exam,” said Dr. Tarek Shawki, Egypt’s Minister of Education and Technical Education.  “We needed a partner that could help us equip students with skills for future work and life success, starting at an early age. We chose National Geographic Learning because the content, design, and pedagogy truly bring learning to life for students.”

To support Egypt’s educational transformation, National Geographic Learning is delivering curriculum for English, Social Studies, Career Skills and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Career Skills and ICT are particularly critical to the Education 2.0 vision in Egypt, as they introduce 10-12-year-olds to a broad range of jobs they may not know much about, and the skills they would need for future success in those fields.

 “Egypt’s Ministry of Education has taken a cutting-edge approach to creating compelling curriculum, ensuring the next generation develops the knowledge, life skills, and values for future success,” said Alexander Broich, President of Cengage Global Businesses and General Manager for English Language Teaching. “At Cengage Group, we strongly believe in the need to prepare students for life and employment. Our goal is to ensure students aren’t just degree ready, but job ready. Egypt’s Ministry of Education is strongly aligned with this mission, and we are proud to help bring learning to life, in service to Dr. Shawki’s inspirational Education 2.0 transformation.”

In addition to providing English curriculum as part of the partnership, the ICT content will be provided in English and Arabic to help further students’ English language learning as part of their primary school education.

“Proficiency in the English language also plays an important role in helping prepare learners across the globe for the job market,” Broich continued. “We believe half of the world will speak or learn English by 2030 because proficient English is the gateway to a promising career for millions across the globe.”

The curriculum features inspirational Egyptians and National Geographic Explorers to help engage, motivate and instill pride in Egyptian learners.

“National Geographic has a long history of illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world,” said Fred Hiebert, Archaeologist in Residence for the National Geographic Society, and a member of National Geographic Learning’s Advisory Council for the Egypt Ministry partnership. “Stories about the impact of human history and culture on our planet are part of National Geographic’s unique legacy. There is no better example of this than National Geographic’s coverage of Egypt, one of the oldest continuous cultures known.” 

 Hiebert continued to say, “This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for National Geographic to elevate local voices and scientists in Egypt.”   

 All primary schools across Egypt began using National Geographic Learning curriculum on October 9, starting with fourth grade for the current academic year, and expanding to fifth and sixth grade over the next two years.  

About National Geographic Learning

National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Group brand, is a leading educational publisher for the English Language Teaching and secondary education markets worldwide. At National Geographic Learning, we believe that an engaged and motivated learner will be a successful one, and we design our materials with a highly interactive storytelling approach which is a great way to invoke these connections. To learn more, visit: eltngl.com.

About Cengage Group

Cengage Group, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms.

We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education. Visit us at www.cengagegroup.com or find us on LinkedIn and Twitter.