According to Salem, they are called experimental because the Ministry of Education's statute does not grant it the right to establish language schools, but does give the minister the right to experiment. Critics of the trend are lone voices in a sea of approval. Her friends nod in approval. Following a debate over the length of the summer holidays and parents' complaints that their children are being kept in school although exams are long over, the minister of education decrees that the school year must last a total of 37 weeks. 8 September Giza Governor Maher El-Guindi has appointed 6,000 new teachers, a move of unprecedented magnitude.
Trees are to be planted, maintenance improved, and decrepit school buildings restored.
16 September Health Minister Dr Ismail Sallam orders governorate officials to conduct periodic checks on the quality of drinking water in schools throughout Egypt. Special committees are set up to check the food sold by street vendors outside schools. 18 September Education Minister Dr Hussein Kamel Bahaeddin states that 16 million students meant 16 million problems for the educational system. Budgetary resources have been poured into megaprojects designed to boost overall development. According to Bahaeddin, the ministry has decided to build 100 experimental schools every year.