Education Minister Tarek Shawki issued an overnight decision hiking public school tuition fees, spurring a wave of criticism from disgruntled parents. The annual increase of EGP 20-30 was necessary to help the ministry cope with rising costs, Shawki told Hona Al Asema talk show host Lamees Al Hadidi last night, pointing out that the amount should be marginal for most (watch, runtime 17:54). Parents, however, disagreed. The higher fees might force more people to pull their children out of school, a member of the Egyptian Mothers’ Association for the Advancement of Education tells Al Masry Al Youm. Healthcare services at public schools — which Shawki pegged as a reason behind the hike — are also of very low quality, which makes it unfair for parents to have to pay more for them, she points out.

Also from the Education Ministry yesterday: Days in Cairo public schools will run longer, and Egyptian students enrolled in ministry-run schools in Saudi Arabia will be required to pay their tuition in USD instead of EGP, also due to higher expenses.