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A Glimpse into a

Mixed Ethnic Elementary School

in Jaffa, Israel

Dr. Tamar MargalitCenter of Critical Pedagogy,

Kibbutzim College of Education

April, 2008

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Outline:

• Arab and Jewish Segregation in Schools

• Jaffa and the Neighborhood

• The Weitzman School

• Dilemmas at the School Trend for Change

• Critical Pedagogy Projects at the School

• Conclusions

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Arab and Jewish Segregation in Schools

• 20% of Israeli citizens are Arab citizens

• Segregated educational systems

• Jewish-Arab conflict

Inequality

• Budgets

• Gaps in scholastic achievements

• Preconceived attitudes, fear and animosity

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Jaffa

• A part of Tel Aviv metropolis

– Tel Aviv-Jaffa population: 371,400

– Jaffa population: 45,000

• Jews and Arabs (Muslims and Christians)

– Jews: 30,000; Arabs: 15,000 (third are Christians)

• Low socio-economic status

• Historical significance (an ancient port city)

• Gentrification

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Weitzman School

• Israeli - Jewish “state school”.

• 316 children (Pre-school – 6th grade).

• 50:50 Arab to Jewish children ratio.

Arab include Christians and Muslims.

• Marginalized community.

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Dilemmas at School

Language

Religious holidaysCulture and heritage

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Identity

Equality

Violence

Low scholastic achievements

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Trend for Change

An Experimental Plan:

“Together and Alone”

Previous Change

Language Hebrew Hebrew and Arabic

Culture and Heritage

Jewish Jewish, Muslim Christian

Teachers Jew Jew and Arab teachers together

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Critical Pedagogy: Principles and Implementation

From ToFrontal teaching Cooperative

learning, Empowerment

Passive learning,

“Banking” education

Dialogue, relevance, Problem posing

Hidden messages in textbooks

Questions of Social Justice and Peace Education, Problematization

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Projects at Schoolby Student Teachers from

the Center of Critical Pedagogy

• Principles: Arab and Jewish student

teachers work together

Multi-aged groups

Children select their projects

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Projects at School

• The Projects: Bilingual School magazine

School Design

“I am from Jaffa”

Children’s Rights

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Friendships(From the Weitzman school magazine)

Achmed: “There is one boy in the class, his name is Eliraz. He and I are almost like brothers.”

Cristin: “My two friends, Lina and Cristina, and I belong to different religions. Despite this, our friendship iswonderful. I believe that if you want to feel belonging, religious issues don’t matter, what you really feel is in your heart.”

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Thank You

“We are all children of life”

Translation from a painting by children from Weitzman School,

Jaffa, 2008