• Approximately one in four Palestinians attends school or university
  The Palestinian educational system is in a parlous state. Approximately one in four Palestinians attends school or university, but the infrastructure established in 1948 in the West Bank and Gaza is under-equipped and burdened with obsolete amenities and materials. Over the last 50 years, owing to historical political circumstances, considerable disparities have emerged between the public and private sectors; between the regions in which education was guaranteed from 1967 until 28 August 1994 by the Israeli occupation administration, and those in which refugees have been attending UNRWA schools since 1950; and between the West Bank and Gaza, where the curricula have not been harmonised .
• Schools: a priority
  Unifying the school system Developing skills adapted to the modern world Teaching Palestinian history and culture
  The Palestinian Autonomous Authority aims to unify the West Bank and Gaza's school system under the administration of a Palestinian Department of Education. Three sectors have co-existed since 1967: the public sector, under Israeli administration, with 60% of the school population (from primary-school level up to the first grades of university students) under its responsibility; UNRWA, which provides schooling for the children of refugees and admits around 25% of all pupils (in primary and vocational schools); private education, which caters for the remainder of the school and university population in establishments financed by foundations and associations A five-year transitional phase is planned for the integration of all establishments and .staffs and for securing their funding. Such integration also extends to the content of teaching. Depending on the school concerned, the curricula followed are those of Egypt, Jordan or, sometimes, donor countries. Teachers have to make do, more often than not, with obsolete materials and textbooks (which have not been harmonised), while their status and salaries differ widely. The aims set forth by the Palestine National Council emphasise the eradication of illiteracy and the development of skills adapted to a modern society, such as languages, mathematics, science and technology, critical thought and case studies. Lastly, they provide for the development of a school syllabus tailor-made to suit Palestinian society, especially in the areas of history and literature. 24 specially-adapted schoolbooks should be published in time for the start of the 1995 school year. .
• Urgent needs
  There are up to 66 children per class, and sometimes three classes in the same room
  The quality of education has been gravely impaired. There are up to 66 children per class, and sometimes three classes in the same room. However, even if many children have never been to school, and some leave the system completely illiterate, there is no overall problem of access to school in the West Bank and Gaza. The establishments are open and working Nevertheless, the school map needs to be revised since it currently reflects the geopolitical situation. The public sector has scant resources and equipment. The teachers are poorly and unequally paid. Priority must be given to the repair of schools which have been poorly maintained, and to the equipment of class-rooms with modern materials. Schools which are not truly open need to restored and plans must be laid for the new school year. Population mobility must be taken into account. Finally, the disturbances related to the Intifada have naturally produced a shortfall in the teaching actually imparted and this has to be compensated by initiatives in the area of informal and adult education .

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The Projects

Strengthening Primary and Secondary Education
Support to Curriculum Development
Education Equipment and Materials
Strengthening Teacher Education Capacity
Physical Learning Environment
Pilot Project in Compensatory Education
Elaborating a Policy for Vocational Education
Supporting the Management of the Educational System
Policies and Structure
Planning and Information Systems
Improving the Quality of Higher Education
Elaboration of a Strategy for Rationalising the Development of Higher Education
Support for Library and Teaching/Learning Facilities of Higher Education Institutions
Support for Upgrading Laboratories and Science Workshops at Universities and Colleges
Enhancing the Quality of Teaching and Research at Palestinian niversities through Staff Development


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• The asset of inter-university co-operation
  The improvement of the quality of education in Arabic-language universities which have developed in the West Bank and Gaza since 1967
  Eight private Arabic-language universities have developed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1967. The main ones are Gaza, Al-Najah (Nablus) and Bir Zeit. They have benefited from a large variety of external contributions, foundations and donations. UNESCO has also assisted them through fellowships and supplies of equipment. These universities are attended by more than 28,000 students in all, in disciplines such as the humanities, education, natural sciences, engineering, commercial and business administration agriculture, and child care. Operating as they do in isolation, they have suffered in particular from the absence of research departments. Twenty community education colleges offer crash-courses for some 7,500 students seeking careers in education, agriculture or technical professions. Various for Education, receives a Palestinian delegation comprising Mr, Head of the Palestinian Department of Education and Higher Education, and Mrs Shad, Generate of in France and Permanent Observer to UNESCO. inter-university co-operation programmes are underway, such as TOKTEN, PEACE and MEDCAMPUS. They are supported by partners such as the European Union, UNESCO and the UNDP. The PEACE programme (Palestinian-European Academic Co-operation in Education) involves 23 Palestinian and European universities. It has been particularly noteworthy for having allowed students and teachers from the West Bank to be sent to European faculties at a time when the university establishments of Gaza and the West Bank were closed. In a second phase, it is to provide for the dispatch of missions of volunteer academics, on sabbatical, from Europe, North America and the rest of the world to the West Bank and Gaza .

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• Higher Education

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  Universities:

  - Bethlehem
  - Bir Zeit, Ramallah
  - Hebron
  - Islamic University of Gaza
  - Al-Najah, Nablus
  - Al-Quds University, East Jerusalem
  - Al-Quds Open University, East Jerusalem
  - Al-Azhar, Gaza
  

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  Community colleges:

  - Jerusalem Collage of Islamic Studies 
  - Qalqiliya College of Islamic Studies 
  - Hebron College of  Technical Engineering 
  - Ibrahimieh College, East Jerusalem 
  - Kalandia Training Centre, Ramallah 
  - Training Centre for Boys, Ramallah 
  - Al-Najah College, Nablus 
  - Al-Ummeh Collage, East Jerusalem 
  - Al-Rahmeh Collage for Girls, Hebron
  - Ramallah Women's Training Centre
  - Al-Rawdah Technical Collage, Nablus 
  - Khan-Yunis Scientific and Technological Centre, Gaza
  

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PAPP [Program of Assistance to the Palestinian People]
Page created by Nedal TAKROURI, last updated: 17/09/96