Parents Outraged Over 2026 Preparatory Certificate Results Amid High Failing Rates

Announcement of the 2026 Preparatory Certificate Results – International Schools.

The announcement of the 2026 Preparatory Certificate results has sparked a wave of anger and shock among parents of students attending international schools in Cairo and Giza, following unprecedented failing rates in national identity subjects, particularly Arabic language, religious education, and social studies.

Amid allegations of grading errors and urgent calls for a review of the results, discussions have intensified on social media under the hashtag “Our Identity is Our Dignity.” Thousands of students are now concerned about losing their chances to enroll in high school due to unexpected failures that parents believe do not align with their academic performance and previous results.

This year, parents were not shocked by low averages or difficult exams but rather by what they described as a “sudden collective failure” in national identity subjects. Many top-performing students found themselves on the failing list for Arabic, religious education, and social studies, despite having achieved high marks in the first semester and excelling in other subjects.

The crisis has raised significant questions about evaluation methods, result accuracy, and the future of affected students.

Approval of the 2026 Preparatory Certificate Results

On Wednesday, Governor Ibrahim Saber announced the approval of the 2025/2026 preparatory certificate results with an overall pass rate of 73%, while international schools reported a pass rate of 77.9%.

In Giza, Governor Dr. Ahmed Al-Ansari confirmed an overall pass rate of 70.5%, but specific rates for international schools have not yet been disclosed.

Parents Launch Hashtag “Our Identity is Our Dignity”

Parents of students from international schools have launched the hashtag “Our Identity is Our Dignity” across social media platforms, asserting that their children’s results do not reflect their true capabilities and demanding a transparent review of these outcomes.

A Parent Shares Concerns Over Her Daughter’s Grades

Sarah Osman, a parent from Egypt Language School in Giza, expressed her shock over the numerous failing cases among students in national identity subjects despite their high academic levels and good performance in the first semester exams.

In an exclusive statement to “Mubtada,” she shared that her daughter failed religious education and social studies despite achieving perfect scores in other subjects under the American system. She noted that failing students must retake all subjects for both semesters despite passing their first-semester exams.

Osman highlighted concerns over delays in addressing grievances regarding results and how late outcomes could affect students’ ability to take second-round exams due to high numbers of failures. Many parents have filed complaints with the Cabinet regarding these issues.

Another Parent’s Frustration Over Exam Results

Another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that her daughter scored 19.5 out of 20 in religious education during the first semester but was shocked to see her fail with a score of only half a point out of 40 in the second semester exam.

This parent rejected labeling international school students as failures in national identity subjects due to supposed indifference towards their native language. She affirmed that many students are indeed high achievers.

Complaints from Parents Regarding Identity Subject Results

Allocation of 20% for National Identity Subjects in International Schools

In August 2024, Minister Mohamed Abdel-Latif issued a ministerial decision regulating study rules and examination practices at international schools. The decision mandates these schools to teach Arabic language, social studies, and religious education across all grades while allocating 10% each for Arabic and social studies—totaling 20% towards overall grades.

Changes to National Identity Subject Curriculum

Before this ministerial decision, international schools had simplified curricula for national identity subjects; however, post-decision mandates require full compliance with Ministry curricula akin to public and private school students. Grades from Arabic language and social studies are now included within overall scores.

Complaints from Other Grade Levels Regarding National Identity Subject Results

Prior to complaints from preparatory certificate students at international schools, transition year students also raised issues concerning changes made to national identity subject results after they were posted on the Ministry’s platform. These adjustments resulted in many students failing after they had previously assured themselves about their grades as they prepared for summer break.