International School Parents Outraged Over 2026 Intermediate Certificate Exam Results

Announcement of the 2026 Intermediate Certificate Results – International Schools.

The announcement of the 2026 Intermediate Certificate results has sparked outrage and shock among parents of international school students in Cairo and Giza, following unprecedented failure rates in national identity subjects, particularly in Arabic language, religious education, and social studies.

Amid accusations 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.” Parents fear that thousands of students may lose their chances to enroll in secondary education due to unexpected failures that do not align with their academic performance and previous results.

This year’s disappointment among parents was not due to low overall scores or difficult exams but rather what they described as a “sudden collective failure” in national identity subjects. Many high-achieving students found themselves on the failing list in Arabic language, religious education, and social studies, despite having performed well in the first semester and excelling in other subjects.

Approval of the 2026 Intermediate Certificate Results

On Wednesday, Ibrahim Saber, Governor of Cairo, announced the results for the academic year 2025/2026, reporting an overall pass rate of 73%, with international schools achieving a pass rate of 77.9%.

In Giza, Governor Ahmed El Ansary announced an overall pass rate of 70.5%, while specific figures for international schools have yet to be disclosed.

International School Parents Launch Hashtag “Our Identity is Our Dignity”

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

Parent Shares Shock Over Daughter’s Grades

Sara Osman, a parent from Egypt Language School in Giza, expressed that parents are in shock over the numerous failures among their children in national identity subjects. She noted that her daughter failed both religious education and social studies despite achieving high scores in other subjects during the first semester.

Osman highlighted concerns about students needing to retake entire subjects for both semesters despite many passing their first-semester exams. She also mentioned anxiety over delays in contesting the results and how this could affect students’ opportunities after second-semester exams.

Parent Questions Discrepancies in Exam Scores

Another parent, who chose 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 only half a score (19.5 out of 40) in the second semester.

This parent refuted claims that international school students fail national identity subjects due to a lack of interest in their native Arabic language, affirming that many are high achievers.

Complaints from Parents Regarding Identity Subject Results

Allocation of 20% for National Identity Subjects

In August 2024, Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, issued a decree regulating study rules and examination assessments at international schools. This decree mandated these schools to teach Arabic language, social studies, and religious education across all grades while allocating 10% of the total score for each subject related to national identity—making a total allocation of 20%.

Changes to National Identity Subject System at International Schools

Prior to this decree, international schools taught national identity subjects at a simplified level with easier examinations. Following this regulation, students are now required to study full curricula from the Ministry of Education similar to those at public and private schools.

Complaints from Lower Grades About National Identity Subject Results

Before complaints arose regarding intermediate certificate results at international schools, students from lower grades also reported issues with changes made to national identity subject results after they were published on the Ministry’s platform. These adjustments led to significant failures among many students who had previously felt assured about their results before entering summer break.