Egypt education system under spotlight as exams leaked

CAIRO: High school finals are always a terrifying prospect for Egyptian students. After cheat sheets were leaked this year, the exams turned into a nightmare for Mariam Khaled.

She had gone home to sleep after finishing an exam. When she woke up, she discovered she would have to resit it.

The leaks have put the spotlight on flaws in Egypt's education system, which critics say favors students who can afford private tuition to go on to coveted universities and faculties.

The leaks "put me on the same footing as those who haven't studied at all", said Khaled, an 18-yearold at a private school in Cairo who wants to become an engineer.

"I've been preparing my whole life for this exam to be able to plan my future. Now I feel extreme injustice," she told AFP.

The fiasco prompted student protests and clashes with police outside the education ministry in late June.

One placard at the demonstrations in June read: "2016, the class of injustice."

The answers had been leaked anonymously on Facebook by people who said they wanted to spark a debate on education in Egypt.

Critics say underpaid teachers at state schools offer poor tuition, making private tuition a must.

One Facebook group called on authorities to raise teachers' salaries and update curricula to match the jobs market.