The student I chose to do my project on is in first grade and just moved to America from Egypt a month ago. She moved here with just her mother and father. Egypt is located in Africa, but is directly connected to the Middle East. This country is well known for the Nile River and its rich history of rulers, known as pharaohs. The official language spoken in Egypt is Modern Standard Arabic, which is very different from English and can cause some complications in the learning process in America. The education system in Egypt is very interesting. Only some children start nursery school between the ages of four and six, schooling is only offered through the private sector and is not free. Students then follow what is known as basic education and is divided into two sections. From six to twelve years old, all pupils attend primary school, the first section, and then continue with preparatory school from twelve to fifteen years old. There are therefore three types of secondary education that students can complete: general, technical and vocational. The first year of general education prepares students for the following two years. After the first year of general education, students will then be divided into humanities, science, or mathematics tracks. General education lasts three years, however technical and vocational school can last three to five years. Education is free and is considered a right guaranteed by the government, currently students only have to attend primary school and can choose whether or not to attend secondary school. Even though it is compulsory and completely free, almost thirteen percent of children in Egypt have not even completed primary school. Egypt… is also halfway there… for parents moving to America, because they may not expect their male children to complete school. They may think their children should leave school to enter the workforce. Furthermore, since women are only expected to be housewives, parents of children may not care about their children's education if they are women. According to Daniel Faulkner, women are sent to school more for the social aspect than for the actual educational factor. Culture in Egypt is very dependent on religion and really circulates around it. This certainly includes the education system; in fact in their general guidelines for education they emphasize the importance of including national unity and pride in religion as well as acceptance in other religions. Students may need to prepare for behaviors in America, which may differ from those that occur in Egypt.