- Egypt to open 13 new Egypt-Japan Schools (EJS) in September 2025, aiming for 100 schools by 2027 under a nationwide education reform.
- New EJS locations include key areas in Cairo and governorates like Damietta, Sharqiya, and Sohag; admissions open for KG1 to Grade 3.
- EJS follows Japan's Tokkatsu model, focusing on character building, teamwork, and life skills over rote learning, with JICA support since 2016.
Egypt will open 13 new Egypt-Japan Schools (EJS) in September 2025, a key development in the government's wider education reform policy. The new schools are part of a nationwide strategy to increase the number of EJS to 100 by 2027, providing a choice, Japanese-inspired model of education based on Japan's Tokkatsu approach.
The Ministry of Education said the new schools added will cover a number of regions nationwide, meeting increasing demand in urban and densely populated areas. New Damietta 2 in Damietta, Minya Al-Qamh in Sharqiya, and Juhayna in Sohag will each have one new school. The capital will also have a number of new locations in major districts, including Badr, Abbasiya, Sayeda Zeinab, Qasr El-Aini, Rod El-Farg, Ghamra, Zaytoun 2, and Tagamoa-Karma City.
Admission applications officially opened on Monday and will be available for a 30-day duration through the EJS official online portal. Parents may apply for children entering from KG1 to Grade 3, with additional grade extensions to be made as the schools grow.
The EJS model differs from traditional public education in Egypt. Based on Japan's Tokkatsu (literally "special activities"), the curriculum is equally focused on academic performance and character development. It seeks to develop life skills, teamwork, compassion, and good moral character through student-centered learning, not memorization.
Classrooms are interactive and participatory with specially designed areas for activities, group learning, and physical activity. Teachers are facilitators, shepherding children through hands-on activities and fostering peer collaboration, reflective thinking, and individual accountability.
This educational reform initiative was first launched in 2016 following President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to Japan. The visit led to a landmark partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has since supported the program with funding, training, and technical expertise. Japanese educators and advisors have been actively involved in developing the EJS curriculum and training Egyptian teachers to adapt the Tokkatsu philosophy effectively.
The Ministry of Education reiterated that the sites for the new schools were chosen through demographic study and population demand, specifically where public education infrastructure is under strain.
With Egypt pressing on with its aim to open 100 EJS schools by 2027, the initiative remains to indicate a long-term vision for comprehensive education and global partnership in the national interest.
