I read an interesting article some time ago part of which is pasted below:
Memorizing - Not Understanding
For decades, Egyptians have joked about the education system’s strong focus on memorizing the curriculum rather than truly understanding it. Hafez mesh fahem (memorizing not understanding) became a cliché describing many ailments in society, including authoritarianism, bureaucracy and the rigidity of the system. While the jokes are in fact funny, the reality is far from it.
Howaida El Demerdash, managing director of Nasr City educational training center Teach Right, works with students, parents and teachers to improve education techniques. She explains that students can excel in exams because they know the questions and answers by heart, but they often fail to translate abstract information they learned.
Read the full article here: http://www.egypttoday.com/news/display/ ... 4/catId:37
Take a look at the exam paper (1 sheet, both sides, time: 2 and half hours) - How well do you think you would do?
Front Page:

Back Page:

After you open the image: click on the big X on the bottom right to zoom in.