Context & Data
According to the UNCT Common Country Analysis for Palestine, all Palestinians are, to some degree, vulnerable on account of the occupation. The occupation impacts the movement of people and goods, fragments the territory geographically and socio-politically, stunts economic growth and restricts Palestinian use of critical resources. This undoubtedly affects access to equitable and quality education for all students in the West Bank and Gaza. One of the strategic priorities of the UNDAF for 2018-2022 is therefore framed around social development and protection, which includes ensuring access to safe, inclusive, equitable and quality services.
In the current political context, barriers to the right to education are increasing, especially during recurrent political violence and discrimination. The Humanitarian Needs Overview 2016 states that attacks on education in Area C, in East Jerusalem and Gaza have tripled since 2013 affecting more than 33,000 children. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has documented that in September and October 2015, over 10,000 students and teachers’ access to education was compromised due to checkpoints, detention, settler harassments, threats and attacks on schools with rubber bullets and live ammunition, the majority of them taking place in East-Jerusalem, Hebron and ARA in Gaza. In light of such rising tensions, thousands of students are left to feel unsafe in and on the way to school, and parents are afraid of sending their children to school. These fatal and traumatizing assaults on students and teachers affect learning results and restrict the physical integrity and mental health of Palestinian children.
In 2016, Palestine had 1.2 million school students and a high-level of basic educational attainment. The net-enrollment rate for basic education is 93.8%, while for secondary education it is lower at 61.1% . The literacy rate in Palestine is 96.7% for persons of 15 years and over . In Gaza, the main years of schooling increased from 9.17 to 10.66 years and is actually higher than in the West Bank. The overall dropout rate in Palestine, for boys and girls of 6 years and over is 24.6%, majority of them being over 18 years old .
Despite the high levels of primary education, both the infrastructure and the quality of learning have deteriorated significantly over the past ten years, especially in Gaza where to keep up with the student enrolment rate, 369 new schools should have been built over the past decade, however, only 137 schools were built, leaving a gap of 232 schools. In addition, many schools were damaged or destroyed during the escalations of hostilities, further increasing the pressure on education facilities. As a result, classrooms now have an average of 38.9 students in public schools and 39.3 in UNRWA schools, with an increase in the number students of nearly 4% each year. Moreover, 61.7% of government schools and 70.4% of UNRWA schools in Gaza currently operate on a double shift system, limiting students’ access to the classroom to only four hours per day.
Also, while indicators show satisfactory progress towards targets related to basic education, secondary education and literacy rates , a smooth transition from secondary to tertiary education, transition from education to work and teacher training remain challenges.
Challenges and Opportunities
In the current context of Palestine, support for inclusive education and inclusive education systems appear to be even more critical than before. All children regardless of gender, ethnicity, disabilities, backgrounds and circumstances have the right to safe and accessible quality education.
The National Teacher Education Strategy (2008) revealed that 70% of teachers are not qualified, meaning that they lack an additional educational diploma, in addition to their subject matter degree. In addition, more training should be provided for teachers on child-centered approach (rather than the more traditional teacher centered training) by using innovative teaching methods like child-led activities and project-based learning, especially in times of emergency. UNESCO’s roles as the technical advisor to the ESWG and as the co-chair of the Inclusive Education Thematic Working Group facilitate the opportunity to support the MoEHE with the implementation of its Inclusive Education Policy by providing professional development programmes for teachers.
Accessing the right to higher education and lifelong learning opportunities is not always self-evident for vulnerable and disadvantaged students and should be enhanced. As the co-chair of the higher education thematic working group, UNESCO will provide technical support to the MoEHE, which is currently developing a higher education policy.
High unemployment is another major cause of vulnerability among youth in Palestine. Unequal access to decent work is often associated with unequal access to the right networks and/or affiliation with political parties. The unemployment rate in Palestine, for persons 15 years and above, has reached 25.9% . Vulnerable students and youth who are unemployed due to the mismatch between their education and the labour market need to be supported through the development of a skills forecasting model, which will specify what vocations will be relevant in Palestine in the future. This can further feed into the TVET strategy of the MoEHE.
