Beginning this school year, the Egyptian government has officially integrated Japanese-produced mathematics textbooks into public schools nationwide, scaling up a bilateral education initiative set to reach all grade levels by the 2028 academic year.
The curriculum update covers students in primary grades one through three as well as second-year high school students. Last year, the rollout was initially limited to first-year primary students before this broader expansion took effect in September.
Scaling the Japan-Style Educational Model
The expanded textbook adoption builds upon a multi-year partnership launched after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi visited Japan in 2016 and inspected local classrooms. That visit led to a formal education partnership and the establishment of 69 “Egypt-Japan Schools” across the country, which emphasize collaborative learning through activities like classroom meetings and student-led cleaning.
According to Ragai Eletreby, Egypt’s ambassador to Japan, the latest textbook rollout means approximately 25 million children and teenagers will study using Japanese-designed materials.
“Self-produced textbooks being adopted by another country is an extraordinary occurrence, and I want the people of Japan to feel a sense of pride in this,” Eletreby said.
Targeting Mathematics Performance
The push toward Japanese educational frameworks follows a marked dip in international assessments. In a 2019 global study, Egyptian eighth-graders ranked 34th out of 39 participating countries and regions in mathematics performance.
To reverse that trend, Egyptian authorities looked to Japan, which ranked first among OECD member countries in three areas, including “mathematical application,” in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Rather than importing text-heavy volumes laden with complex explanations, Egyptian officials requested instructional materials focused squarely on building foundational skills.
Sprinx, a Tokyo-based provider of cram school education and educational materials, partnered with the government to co-produce the textbooks. Shinya Sugiura, general manager of Sprinx’s international business division, noted that the texts were deliberately constructed in English and Arabic to avoid unnecessary complexity and help teachers deliver concepts clearly.
Under the current deployment schedule, the curriculum will scale progressively, culminating in full implementation across all elementary, middle, and high school grade levels by fiscal 2028.
