A Court Ruling in Egypt Forces a Father to Buy a Laptop for His Daughter
In a legal precedent that is the first of its kind in Egypt, a family court issued a ruling obligating an Egyptian father to purchase a "laptop" for his daughter, at a cost of 48,000 Egyptian pounds, considering it an essential educational tool that is indispensable in the modern age.
* The Judiciary Enhances Children's Right to Keep Up with Technology
The ruling came to reinforce children's right to adapt to the developments of the digital age, as the court affirmed that education in the current era cannot be effectively conducted without the presence of a computer, making its provision a legal and religious duty for the father.
In this case, the court relied on the legal principle that states, "What cannot be achieved without it is obligatory," clarifying that education in the digital age cannot be comprehensive without providing the technology that supports it.
* Technology: An Educational Necessity, Not a Luxury
For his part, lawyer Abdel Hamid Rahim, who filed the lawsuit, confirmed that this ruling is an important step towards highlighting the necessity of providing modern technological tools for children's education.
He added that providing a computer is not a luxury but a fundamental pillar for enabling students to receive knowledge, research, and study effectively, especially in light of the evolving educational curricula in Egypt that increasingly rely on modern technologies.
* The Laptop is the Educational Weapon in Egypt
The court indicated that the "laptop" has become an essential part of the Egyptian educational system, especially after government efforts to distribute "tablets" to high school students since 2018, and updating curricula to become interactive through the "Egyptian Knowledge Bank."
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic made electronic education platforms a part of daily academic life, imposing on students the necessity of possessing technological tools to participate in lessons and exams.
* Distance Learning: An Imposed Reality
This ruling also came in the context of global developments imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, where virtual classrooms became part of the educational reality in Egypt.
According to the ruling, a student who does not possess a computer is "deprived" of their right to education, placing them in an "educational isolation" from their peers.
* The Future of Education in Egypt
This court ruling appears to come at a critical time, as the Egyptian Ministry of Education adopts an ambitious plan to transform educational curricula into interactive media, thereby enhancing the urgent need for technological tools at all educational stages.
In conclusion, this ruling serves as a step towards affirming the father's obligation to provide all necessary tools to ensure the child's academic success in the digital age, opening the door for further legal and social developments aimed at keeping pace with technological transformations in the Egyptian educational system.
