Sudanese Schools in Cairo…the Possible and the Impossible

Report by Nahid Oshi

The 2024 academic year has witnessed turmoil and lost track of the calendar due to the outbreak of war on April 15 of last year. That war cast its shadow over studies in Sudan and outside Sudan, even those schools that opened their doors for the academic year have increased their fees by at least10%, and parents of students residing in Egypt complained about the high costs of tuition fees for Sudanese schools in Cairo
Zuhal Al-Tayeb described Sudanese schools as (an exploitation) in terms of financial depletion and the collection of huge sums of money for low standards. She said that the majority of students are of poor standard in light of the schools’ keenness to collect fees without taking into account the conditions experienced by Sudanese families who fled war and high prices, only to find that the school year’s fees have doubled from 2 thousand pounds in the previous year to 10 thousand pounds this year and from 15 thousand pounds to 40 thousand pounds. Also, the unknown fate of Sudanese certificate students is another challenge.
School Dropouts:
She pointed out that due to the high tuition fees and the critical conditions, many students are forced to leave their studies and have become outside the umbrella of education (dropouts). There are families who have raised their dreams and that the UNHCR helps them with the tuition fees, but the UNHCR provides small fees that do not suffice for the study requirements, as the situation is very dire for the said families.
Child labor:
The phenomenon of school-age child labor has increased. They are forced to work in restaurants and cafes to help families, leaving their dreams of education behind them.
However, Al-Fatih Wadidi believes that the ceiling of fees imposed is acceptable compared to fees in Sudan, especially private schools.
He says that one of the reasons for my leaving Sudan early before the war was the issue of educational costs, which were beyond the capacity of families and were a significant increase of more than 10% compared to tuition fees in Egypt. Therefore, many families resorted to immigrate to Egypt because of the education of their children, depending on the income from Sudan. He said had more money than at the present time (after the war), as the majority have become refugees, and therefore obtaining money from Sudan has become a very difficult issue. Study fees have become a major obstacle, and prices vary from one school to another, from 5-6 thousand pounds. There are fees that vary between 30 to 50 thousand, and others collect fees are in dollars and others are free and choosing the education system creates fee differences.
He believes that the real problem lies in the Sudanese certificate students who do not yet know their fate, which is the real test now.
Tuition fee increase:
The Principal of Al-Farouk Foundation, Safa Al-Taher, indicated that the tuition fees last year were 5 thousand pounds, and this year they rose to 10 thousand pounds. However, family circumstances are currently difficult, as out of a total of 800 students, only 150 students paid the full fees. There are those who pay only a thousand pounds, and others are unable to pay the full fees. Payment of fees due to economic conditions and the extension of the war in Sudan to Medani city, and the majority of families were relying on the commercial activity in Medani for their incomes, and there were those who paid the first installment of 2 thousand and five hundred pounds. Until now, they have not completed the payment of the installments, and the institution has become unable to cover the teachers’ salaries and the rent of the school headquarters, and we live on a subsistence level, unlike the previous year, when conditions were stable.
As for Al-Ittihad School, the school principal, Aisha Ali Ashqar, revealed the prices of tuition fees, as she explained that kindergarten fees in the year 2023 were (3 thousand and 500) pounds, and in the year 2024 they increased to (5 thousand) pounds, and primary school fees in 2023 were (4 thousand and 500) pounds, and in the year 2024 they increased to (6) thousand and 500 pounds, and the intermediate school was 4,500 pounds, increasing to 7,000 pounds, and the high school from 5,000 to 8,000 pounds.