El Nasr Girls' College (E.G.C., Arabic: كلية النصر للبنات) is a school in El Shatby

El Shatby

Shatby or Chatby is a neighbourhood in midtown Alexandria, Egypt, just east of Cape Silsileh.Many important institutes are located in Shatby, such as:* Alexandria University* Bibliotheca Alexandrina* Collège Saint Marc* El Nasr Boys' School...

, Alexandria

Alexandria

Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...

, Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

. It was established in 1935, and was originally known as English Girls College.

History

The English Girls’ College was founded in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V, King of England during the time when Egypt was one of the protectorates of the United Kingdom.

The buildings were designed by the English architect George Grey Wornum

George Grey Wornum

George Grey Wornum was a British architect.Grey Wornum was born in London and educated at Bradfield College and the Slade School of Art. He studied architecture under the guidance of his uncle, Ralph Selden Wornum...

 in a “Spanish – Arabic style of architecture”; the most modern style at that time in all respects and were designed to accommodate a maximum of 1000 pupils. The buildings stood in over 20 feddans of land donated by the governorate of Alexandria. The school site went up to the main Boulevard "Abu Keir Avenue". The Minister of Education donated a big section to the faculty of science, which stands there today.

Aim of building the school

It was a British School, in all respects. It followed the British system of education to educate a very select group of girls. The aim was not only to prepare its students for examinations but also to promote them culturally, morally and spiritually, so that one day they would become prominent members of the society they live in, In this warm atmosphere where young girls were growing and fulfilling their future role in society. The English Girls’ College continued to prosper for 21 years. It became the most famous and renowned as one of the foremost schools for girls in the Middle East, especially for boarders. In the olden days, the college was a treat to the eyes and it was run on the lines of an English public School (In England Public schools were the private select elegant schools). Students studied for Oxford and Cambridge examinations, played British games and leant to have a “Sportive Spirit” that is like the British” being a good sport”. The young ladies of the college were made to feel that their culture was basically British, when they went to London they felt comfortable and at home.

Until 1956 the staff were all British, but they were expelled as a result of the Suez crisis of 1956. One of the best known E.G.C. graduates is Queen Sofia of Spain

Queen Sofía of Spain

Queen Sofía of Spain is the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.-Early life and family:Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederika , a former princess of Hanover...

.

See also

• Educational institutions in Alexandria
• Education in Egypt
  Education in Egypt
  Egypt has the largest overall education system in the Middle East and North Africa and it has grown rapidly since the early 1990s. In recent years the Government of Egypt has accorded even greater priority in improving the education system...