Films that discussed the problems of education in Egypt

Cinema is a mirror that reflects what is happening in reality. It is a tool for highlighting important issues concerning members of society, in an attempt to reshape human awareness and bring about a change in society’s behavior. Egyptian cinema has been keen, in a large number of its films, to address the lives of students, their issues, and the problems of education in Egyptian society. Some films were intended to convey an important message, shed light on issues plaguing the education system, or talk about a negative phenomenon taking place inside the corridors of schools. Some of them merely presented the problems of education and students from a comedic, satirical perspective, without finding radical solutions to them. On the occasion of the celebration of International Students’ Day or World Student’s Day on November 17, let us review with you the artistic works that discussed the most prominent problems of education in Egyptian cinema.

My beautiful school 1971

The film monitors the bad behavior of high school students and their moral corruption at an important and dangerous stage of her life, which is adolescence. This is done through “Nadia,” a chemistry teacher who moves to work from Mansoura to Cairo, and suffers greatly with the unruly students in the class, whom she tried to tame and modify their behavior, but they put her between her and her sister “Aisha” when they convinced “Aisha” of the existence of a relationship between her sister and her fiancé. A group of students kidnap “Nadia” and attempt to assault her had it not been for the arrival of the police. To preserve their future, she refuses to accuse them of kidnapping her, so their behavior changes and she finally succeeds in taming them. The film stars Hind Rostom, Hussein Fahmy, Saeed Saleh, and Salah Al-Saadani, written by Rashad Hegazy and Muhammad Mustafa Sami, and directed by Ibrahim Amara.

School of Troubles 1973

The film presented one of the problems of education in Egypt, which is represented by unruly, morally corrupt students who do not care about their studies or their future. This is done through 5 students in a high school, who cause many problems due to their recklessness and moral corruption. Until Professor Afaf Salem came and dealt with the students in a different way than the previous teachers, until she succeeded in disciplining and controlling them, and gained their trust after she gave each of them the opportunity to develop their talent, and she was able to make them study their lessons. The film stars Abdel Moneim Madbouly, Mervat Amin, Nour El Sherif, Mohamed Awad, George Sidhom, and Youssef Fakhr El Din, and is written by Ali Salem and directed by Hossam El Din Mostafa.

Saeedi at the American University 1998

The film discusses, in a comedic context, the lives of university students and the fundamental differences in their character and behavior, and touches on some social and political issues that concern them, as well as the problems of foreign education in Egypt. Through the story of “Khalaf Al-Dahshouri Khalaf,” a student from Upper Egypt gets a scholarship to study at the American University, and there he meets a different class of people, which changes his outlook on things. The film stars Mohamed Henedy, Mona Zaki, Ahmed El Sakka, Hani Ramzy, Ghada Adel, and Tariq Lotfy, written by Medhat El Adl, and directed by Waheed Hamed.

Al-Nazer Saladin 2000

The film shed light on some of the problems of the education system in Egypt, such as administrative corruption in private schools, the phenomenon of bullying and students assaulting teachers. This is done through “Salah al-Din Ashour,” a failed young man who did not obtain a high school diploma, yet finds himself as principal of Ashour’s schools, succeeding his father. He leaves the responsibility to the corrupt school agent, who runs the school on his own account. The film also touched on the low educational level of students, and the lack of interest in appointing specialized and qualified teachers. The film stars Alaa Wali El Din, Hisham Selim, Ahmed Helmy, and Hassan Hosni, and is written and directed by Sherif Arafa.

Al-Basha, student 2004

The film reviewed educational corruption in private universities, whether behavioral and moral corruption of students and their disregard for the importance of education, or administrative corruption of the university president and its employees. This is done through Officer Bassiouni, who is assigned to hide among the students of a private university, with the aim of uncovering the drug trade among the students, only to discover that the university is the main driver of that trade. The film stars Karim Abdel Aziz, Ghada Adel, Ramez Galal, Mohamed Ragab, and Maha Ahmed, written by Bilal Fadl, and directed by Wael Ihsan.

Ramadan Mabrouk Abu Al-Alamin Hamouda 2008

The film touched on the problems of education in a funny, comedic way, by comparing a public school in the countryside and a private school in the city. This is through the character of Professor Ramadan, who refuses private lessons and does not care about money, and is accustomed to discipline and the respect of the students in his first school. But he is surprised by the different treatment of students in the second school, where chaos is widespread, the teacher loses his prestige, and his role fades as students rely on private lessons. During its events, the film also touched on the issue of literacy for the elderly. The film stars Mohamed Henedy, Cyrine Abdel Nour, Ezzat Abu Auf, Cyrine Abdel Nour, and Amir El Masry, written by Youssef Maati, and directed by Wael Ihsan.

All three are working on it in 2010

The film discussed an important issue that is the direct cause behind many of the problems facing education in Egypt, which is the method of education that relies on blind memorization without understanding or awareness. This is through the character of Najiba, the first high school graduate who is forced to work as a primary school teacher. Because of her wrong study method and upbringing, she influences the female students to become copies of her. Until she realized herself and decided to become a responsible person and instill in the students the need to understand before blind memorization. The film stars Yasmine Abdel Aziz, Salah Abdullah, Hala Fakher, Nidal El Shafei, and Amir El Masry, and is written by Youssef Maati and directed by Ali Idris.

EUC 2011EUC

The film presented many of the negatives in the education system in Egypt, through a group of high school students who failed to achieve a high grade, and therefore were unable to enter university, so they decided to create a fake university of their own, so that they would not face a wave of anger from their families because of this failure. . Young people are surprised by the desire of many other students to enter university, thinking that it is real