Egypt: 'Schools With No Chairs in the Country of Huge Jails'

As Egyptian students returned to in-person classes earlier this week, a photo of a classroom in a public school where there were no desks or chairs has stirred public anger across social media platforms.

The photo that showed dozens of primary school students sitting on the floor of a classroom in a public school in Al Khankah near the Qalyubia governorate has triggered different angry reactions amongst Egyptians; who expressed their shock at the level of preparations by the Ministry of Education for the new school year.

Translation: "Cheer up, kids. When Sisi saw this photo of yours he decided to ban taking pictures in schools."

Commenting on the photo, many Egyptians called on the Minister of Education Tarek Shawki to resign, saying that the ministry of Education should be better prepared, especially on the primary school level.

Some tweets have also linked the classroom photo to photos of Egyptian jails, adding links to news of the Egyptian government's plans to build a new prison, saying that public priorities fall short of the nation's aspirations.

Translation: "A school on the right and a jail on the left. The country that builds jails instead of schools is uninhabitable and its failure is only a matter of time."

In response, the Ministry of Education announced a new ban on taking photographs in public schools, justifying it by "the need to protect students' privacy."