The most widespread private educational institutions are still kindergar-
tens and pre-schools, which became increasingly popular among the growing
number of working middle-class mothers. Both Muslim and Christian societies
are active in the field. The standards as well as the fees vary greatly. In crowded
urban areas the spaces rented for schools of this type are very limited and
often completely unsuitable for children. Private schools at the primary and
preparatory stages are markedly more expensive, which leads to a more pro-
nounced social selection of pupils. The most expensive schools in the country
are the American School in Cairo, with annual fees reaching US$10,000, and
the Showaifat School in Cairo, for which the fees amount to about US$6,000.
The latter belongs to a chain of elite schools also found in Lebanon and the
Gulf States. Cheaper private schools charge fees of about US$400 annually.
These fees, too, are far beyond the means of a graduate civil servant who
has worked in the state service for twenty years and receives a salary of
about US$800 annually. The majority of the schools belonging to Christian
churches, especially those run by nuns or monks, usually charge lower fees
than other private schools and are also attended by Muslims since they have
a good reputation. The boom in private secondary schools was strongly en-
hanced by the sharpening of competition for admittance to universities. Many
private schools have specialized in the two top grades of secondary education
to prepare students for the final state examination so that they can attain the
highest marks possible. In this way an affluent elite that can profit from the
new private educational system has considerable advantages over those who
are dependent on the public system.