Identity Crisis

& Education Issues in Jerusalem

Students Distribution for2013/2014 Academic Year According to Administrative Classification

Number of Subclasses

Number of Students

Percentage %

Awqaf Schools 512 11756 13.76%

Private Schools 1020 25902 30.32%

UNRWA Schools 79 2011 2.35%

Municipality Schools 1337 38498 45.07%

Municipality Contractor Schools

272 7259 8.50%

Total 3220 85426 100%

Students Distribution for 2013/2014 Academic Year According to Administrative

Number of Students

PrivateUNRWAMunicipalityMunicipality ContractorAwqaf

2%

30%

14%

8%

45%

Education Classifications in Jerusalem & Students Distribution

Palestinian Classified Schools (Private & Awqaf) 37658

Israeli Classified Schools (Municipality & Municipality Contractor)

45757

UNRWA Classified Schools (Implements the host country’s curriculum)

2011

Distribution of Students according to Classifications

Awqaf & PrivateMunicipality & Municipal-ity ContarctorUNRWA

Educational Curriculums in Jerusalem

Since the beginning of Palestinian territories occupation, the Israeli occupiers are trying

tirelessly to demolish all the Arabic Palestinian features that ever existed with all its

civilization passed down on the Palestinian Arab culture of this land, and architecture and

history.

In 1967, It was the first attempt to impose the Israeli educational curriculum in Jerusalem.

They lost this round because of the absolute resistance and refusal of Jerusalemites.

The second attempt happened during the beginning of the implementation of the

Palestinian Curriculum in Jerusalem in 2000/2001. Whereas, the Israelis hid the

Palestinian symbol and pasted the Israeli municipality symbol. However, this attempt

didn’t not last long since everyone had got a copy of the curriculum from the stores of the

Palestinian Ministry of Education.

The Third Attempt in 2011

The Reprint of Palestinian books after altering and removing everything that is

associated with national symbols such as the Palestinian flag and symbol, national

peace, and right of return. In addition, this attempt included also the abolition of

the Palestinian history book from the curriculum and attempted to impose a

distorted version of the books on Private schools even though it wasn’t

successful. On the other hand, this attempt succeeded in imposing this altered

curriculum on a huge percentage of municipality and municipality contractor

schools.

The Fourth Attempt (the most dangerous)

At the beginning of the educational year 2013/2014

Israeli Ministry of Education passed Israeli curriculum in five schools in Jerusalem.

Schools that initiated in the implementation of Israeli Curriculum 2013/2014 in Jerusalem

Schools Total Number of Student

Classes that opened to teach Israeli curriculum

Number of Subclasses that teach Israeli curriculum

Number of Students learning Israeli curriculum

Ebn Rashid High School for Boys

875 Seventh Grade 2 50

Eighth Grade 2 50

Ninth Grade 2 47Sour Baher Elementary School for Boys

726 First Grade 1 18

Sour Baher Elementary School for Girls

897 First Grade 1 No one registered

Ebn Khaldoun High School for Boys

1230 Seventh Grade 1 No one registered

Abdullah Ben Al-Hussein for Girls

706 Seventh Grade 1 17

Eighth Grade 1 28Total 4434 210

Other Attempts

The occupation targeted high school students through the promotion of institutes and centers that teach Begrut & Psychometric in the city of Jerusalem. They emphasize in their promotion that the exams are easy, its beneficial since they can get accepted in Israeli universities and colleges, and open employment opportunities.

When Students are asked: Why convert to the secondary system Begrut ?

All their answers are summed up in few points. First, Begrut exam doesn’t depends on memorization of material coached by the teacher. Second, Begrut stages spread over three years from tenth to twelfth grade. Third, there is a percentage of the school results that’s counted in the final grade of the begrut. Finally, studying Hebrew in school helps them in the future.

What are the damages of teaching Israeli curriculum in Arab schools in Jerusalem?

• Corrupting the Palestinian identity of Jerusalem youth which facilitate weakening their attachment and ties to their Palestinian people and Arabic nation.

• Turn off the national sense and belonging of the Jerusalemites which assist in the progress of taking over their land and homes, as well as, makes them easier targets to displace.

• Weakening the youth motivation to pursue higher education, which serves their purpose in creating cheap labor from Jerusalemites according to their needs, which disdains the Jews from many professions such as cleaning, building, portage, and other hard labor. Since they believe that there is social class of non Jews should serves them in doing this type of labor.

• Confirmation of full Israeli sovereignty over the city where their curriculum is taught and there is no other authority that plays a role in the city.

The situation of Ministerial Secondary Examination (Tawjihi) in Jerusalem

• The number of applicants for the exam is 50% which means that there is half of the students that did not enter the exam as a result of dropping out of school in previous years.

• Students who entered the exam achieve final results similar to the results of the rest of the provinces of the country.

Exam Results High School Diploma for 8 years earlier in the Directorate For all academic disciplines and professional in regular schools of

Jerusalem

School Year Number of Applicants

Number of Successful

Number of Failures

Success Rate Failure Rate

2005-2006 2292 1519 773 66.3% 33.7%

2006-2007 2812 1841 971 65.5% 34.5%

2007-2008 2979 1961 1018 65.8% 34.2%

2008-2009 3160 2034 1126 64.4% 35.6%

2009-2010 3402 2372 1030 69.7% 30.3%

2010-2011 3675 2296 1379 62.5% 37.5%

2011-2012 3548 2297 1251 64.7% 35.3%

2012-2013 3947 2562 1385 64.9% 35.1%

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

58.00%

60.00%

62.00%

64.00%

66.00%

68.00%

70.00%

72.00%Success Rate

Success Rate

66.3% 65.8

% 64.4%

69.7%

62.5%

64.7%

64.9%

65.5%

Comparing the results of the general secondary examination in 2013 with the Directorate of Jerusalem & the Nation

Jerusalem The Nation

Discipline Number of Applicants

Number of Applicants

Success Rate in Jerusalem

Success Rate in Palestine

Social Science 2822 63408 60.5% 54.3%

Scientific 911 16957 85.1% 80.4%

Commercial 47 3775 48.9% 57.8%

Total 3947 85910 64.9% 59.6%

Comparing Grades between Jerusalem Student and Northern cities students

Scientific Division

Jerusalem Student Northern Cities Students

Grades Number of Students Percentage Percentage

90 and up 276 35.6 38.0

90-80 278 35.9 34.8

80-70 175 22.6 20.0

70-60 44 5.7 6.9

60 and lower 2 0.3 0.3

Total 775 100% 100%

Comparing Grades between Jerusalem Student and Northern cities students

Social Sciences Division

Jerusalem Students Northern Cities Student

Grades Number of Students Percentage Percentage

90 and Up 189 11.1 10.7

90-80 408 23.9 21.1

80-70 458 26.8 26.0

70-60 436 25.5 26.0

60 and lower 216 12.7 16.2

Total 1707 100% 100%

Recommendations

Benefit from integrating education in Jerusalem within the national policies of the government in a National Development Plan ((Improve the quality of education in East-Jerusalem and the development of an infrastructure that includes the largest numbers of schools to the Palestinian bosom in order to cope with change and distortion of the Palestinian curriculum))

1. Support and thrive educational programs and activities that help maintain and enhance the identity and affiliation of the Jerusalem students especially the ones who are learning in Israeli municipality schools.

2. Work on the improvement of the educational background to become an environment that attracts students.

3. Support Jerusalem schools that includes private schools for its continuity and its role in maintaining the Palestinian curriculum in Jerusalem.

4. Encourage and Maintain the media role in awareness and efforts to emphasize on national identity

5. Due to the harsh circumstances in Jerusalem, we need to provide adequate standard of living for teachers.

6. Encouragement of creative and cultural activities in general through the establishment of writing and poetry festivals and competitions. In addition to the preservation of our heritage and the Arabic Titles of sites.

7. Collaboration with institutions and civil society organizations to do its role in strengthening identity and belonging.

8. Work to raise awareness to pursue vocational education through vocational guidance and development of vocational education in Jerusalem.

Encourage Jerusalem Students to pursue higher education by offering scholarships.

It is beneficial to teach the Hebrew language in all Jerusalem schools.

It is important to change the curriculum and improve old teaching methods that are build upon memorization of material coached by the teacher.

It is important to issue a statement that provides general guidelines for the general secondary system as soon as possible.

Thank you for listening