TRANSITIONS TO ADULTHOOD
A National Survey of Adolescents in Egypt

Education

The social and economic returns to education are well established. Societies benefit in terms of more rapid economic growth, increased labor productivity, a healthier population, a reduced rate of population growth, and better functioning political processes Individuals benefit from increased occupational mobility and higher wages, and acquire problem-solving and social negotiating skills. It is also a channel through which young people receive norms and values, are exposed to new ideas, and achieve a sense of personal efficacy. Data from this survey provide a cross-sectional portrait of the educational experience in Egypt.

KEY FINDINGS:

Access to basic education: Access to the basic education system in Egypt has greatly increased in recent years. In the school year 1996-1997 net enrollment in primary education among 8-11 year-olds was approximately 90 percent.

Never-attendance: The proportion of girls who have never attended school dropped from 21 percent among 19 year-olds to 13 percent among the youngest cohort aged 10 in 1997. Comparable figures for adolescents from poor households are 26 percent and 13 percent, and 30 percent and 15 percent for adolescents in Upper Egypt. However, in spite of recent improvements, one-third of 10 year-old girls in rural Upper Egypt have never attended school. Half of those who have never attended school report inadequate economic resources as the reason.

Drop-out rates: Drop-out rates have declined over time from one cohort to the next among most sub-groups, particularly among girls in the primary and preparatory stages. Rates have also dropped for adolescents in the low socioeconomic category (in primary only) and among adolescents in rural Lower and Upper Egypt. However, increasing rates of drop-out among boys in urban Lower and Upper Egypt are worrisome and require attention.

Scholastic performance: More than one-third of drop-outs cite poor scholastic performance as the main reason for dropping out. This holds true for both sexes, in all five regions, and regardless of household social and economic status.

Health status and scholastic performance: A clear relationship exists between health status and scholastic performance. Stunted adolescents and those who suffer from anemia are more likely to perform poorly and to repeat grades than adolescents free from these conditions.