Report :

For personal freedom and social justice based on respecting the rights of human beings in any state to be strong, it needs to be largely supported by education for all, irrespective of gender, social status, ethnicity, or religion.

Such were the main principles we were introduced to in the Theodor Heuss Academy in Gummersbach, Germany during the seminar entitled "No Education, No Freedom" organized by Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty. 

We started the seminar by examining the educational systems in Germany, at the various stages, and by getting introduced to methods of acquiring skills starting from childhood. Various workshops were held around different topics, and were concluded with group presentations of the results.

We were also taken to field visits to schools at different levels. However, the structure that captured my attention most was the training center that the students join after school to learn skills and to be ready for the jobs in the largest factories and companies. Among the fields offered in the center for training are mechanical engineering, electricity, designs and others.

The center has contracts with many plants and companies to help graduates have access to jobs in them, after they finish their training in the center.

The extents of care offered by the educational system in Germany during and after school years to support students develop and boost their skills and to have access to jobs is amazing.

However, there is one disadvantage for the educational system in Germany, which is the length of time dedicated for schooling. Education ends at the age of 27, which is a very long period.

I have greatly enjoyed this seminar, especially that we had the opportunity to examine a successful and a developed approach to education and to see a liberal political system. We also had the opportunity to go sightseeing and to experience the biting cold, as well as getting introduced to two serious facilitators.

My hearty thanks go to the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's office in Cairo, and to the staff of the Theodor Heuss Academy in Gummersbach in Germany.