Summit colleges in Egypt .. Social relevance or priority for young people?

Alaa Abdel Razek-Cairo

Despite receiving a total of 97.5%, Tarek, a high school student, failed to attend the Faculty of Human Medicine which he dreamed of in order to fulfill his parents' wishes.

Tariq seeks to win one of the grants offered by private universities in the hope of enrolling in the Faculty of Medicine, since he could not pay the high costs, otherwise he will only have to surrender to the degree of coordination and the collapse of hope in the Faculty of Medicine.

Tariq adds to the island Net that he does not want an alternative to the Faculty of Medicine, does not want to study pharmacy or dentistry, and the results of coordination very frustrated.

Tarek is not alone.There are many who are saddened and frustrated despite their superiority in high school.What Egyptians know as "colleges of the summit" is the sole goal of students and their families, and those who fail to join it is considered a failure despite his superiority or talent distinctive in other areas.

The top colleges include those requiring a high total in high school, medical and engineering faculties in science, and media, politics and economics in the literary section, and students are often forced to attend social colleges, despite their distinction away from those colleges.

Top and bottom
Samir, a third-grade student, says there are no top and bottom colleges, but it was the Egyptians who created the term to consider colleges that provide graduates with high financial income.

He added in his talk to the island Net that the lesson of excellence in any college loved by the student, it is possible to graduate Summit College bribed engineer or doctor failed.

Hussein does not see - a geography teacher at the secondary stage - that there is a top college and college bottom, more important that the student study what he cares about, according to his opinion.

He stressed to the island Net that there are no summit colleges, but tops in colleges, citing the example of those who excel in his college no matter what and has the highest degrees.

Relevance and function
While Fatima - a high school student - that some attend the summit colleges to say among the people that he is a student in this college, and this is a big mistake.

She added in an interview with Al Jazeera Net that students choose at the secondary level between the scientific and literary sections, and many are willing to join the scientific section because it offers more options in the colleges of the summit, Vkrj scientific section can enroll in literary colleges and not vice versa.

Fatima believes that it is better for the student to think about his future without looking at other colleagues or the words of the people, and to study in the college he loves and not what people like him, and to choose the field in which he thinks he will excel.

While Wael - the guardian of a high school student - he wants to see his daughter doctor, so as to ensure a good future, doctors are appointed in hospitals after graduation, they can work in private hospitals or open a private clinic or travel to the Gulf, where there are jobs With salary rewards.

He adds in his interview with Al Jazeera Net, he knows his daughter's hobbies and interests, but the study and the future is more important than the interests of interest, and can continue to practice what she loves besides a guaranteed job, he said.

Preference bubble
On the other hand, Amr, a student in the Faculty of Medicine, said he always dreamed of the highest college in total.

Amr described the matter as a preference bubble.He was one of the first students in his school.He must join the higher college as a whole, but he discovered the illusion of the faculty of the summit when he joined it, because there is always a higher summit.There is another medical school at another university that excels his college, and so on.

The year 2019 saw an increase in the total required to enroll in the faculties of the summit, due to the high grades of students, where the number of students of the science section of science at the secondary level 66 thousand, 28% of them received a total of more than 95%.

More than 13,000 students received a total of 96% to 97%, and more than 11,000 received a total of 95% to 96%.

The minimum of the first stage of coordination to apply to colleges - all top colleges - 97.7% for the scientific section, and more than 80% for the literary section.

Admission scores for each college are determined by the rate of student turnout and available seats.