Factsheet on impact of Israeli violations against the right of education for girls in Jerusalem
By MIFTAH in cooperation with Women's Studies Centre
June 28, 2022

Palestinians in general, face attempts by the Israeli occupation to “Israelize” the curriculum in Jerusalem and to stifle the Palestinian national identity, through various measures. This is amid scarce financial resources, substandard buildings, and largely unsuitable educational facilities, in addition to the multitude of references associated with education in Jerusalem.

This factsheet focuses on the status of education in the city in terms of student and school distribution and approved curriculum, with a focus on the right of girls to education.

Facts and figures:

  • Based on findings by the Jerusalem Affairs Unit for 2018-2019, 59.2% of all schools are overseen by the Palestinian Ministry of Education in East Jerusalem and suburbs under Israeli jurisdiction. In contrast, 40.8% of schools are overseen by the Israeli Ministry of Education and the illegal [Israeli] Jerusalem municipality.

  • There is a shortage of 3,794 classrooms in Jerusalem (Palestinian and Israeli schools) including 2,100 in Palestinian schools alone, or 55.3%.

  • The distribution of schools under the supervision of the Palestinian Ministry of Education is as follows: 35.3% private schools, 21.4% Islamic Waqf schools, and 2.5% UNRWA- run schools. Meanwhile, 9.7% of schools are run by the Israeli Education Ministry and illegal municipality, recognized as contacted ‘semi-government” schools and 31.1% are directly under the jurisdiction of the Israeli Education Ministry and illegal municipality, according to 2020-2021 data.

Reference Number of schools/Number of students
Waqf-run Schools 51 girls and boys schools/ 10,851 students
Private Schools 84 girls and boys schools/33,684 students
UNRWA-run schools 6 girls and boys schools/1,953 students
Schools under direct Israeli supervision 74 girls and boys schools/40,573 students
Contracted schools: schools owned and run by individuals on behalf of the Israeli Education Ministry and illegal Municipality 23 girls and boys schools/2,734 students

Palestinian students in occupied Jerusalem in general, suffer from repeated attacks by Israeli occupation authorities, resulting in lost classes, especially in the morning.

Indicator Percentage
Average area for students in Jerusalem 0.5-0.9 m2 per student
Increase rate of students per school year 5-8%
Number of female school drop-outs in 2019-2020 school year 305 students
Number of attacks by Israeli occupation forces on Waqf schools alone in the 2017-2018 school year 483 attacks
Number of classes wasted in 2017-2018 in Waqf schools alone 2,016 morning classes
Percentage of students who pass daily through military checkpoints into Jerusalem 20%
Percentage of (male and female) students who use public transportation to reach their schools in Jerusalem 65%

Interviews with students, experts and parents:

Interviews were individually conducted with 20 students and 10 students in a focus group. The individual interviews were intentional in that the researcher approached students who were subjected to one form of harassment. However, during the interviews, it became apparent that most of the girls had been subjected to more than one form of harassment. The interviews also included 17 involved individuals: six school principals, two counselors, three experts (one male and two female) and six parents (two men and four women).

Interview results:

  • Unfriendly-environment schools for students…the role of the racist, separation wall in hampering and disrupting the educational process in Jerusalem

    Subject Students Percentage Experts and parents Percentage
    Unfriendly-environment schools for students 22 73.33% 13 76.47%
    Racist separation wall hampering and disrupting the educational process 29 96.66% 17 100%

  • Harassment of Jerusalemite students on their way to school

    Subject Students Percentage Experts and parents Percentage
    Harassment at military checkpoints 16 53.33% 12 70.58%
    Harassment on crowded public transportation 20 66.66% 11 64.70%
    Harassment by soldiers in the Old City streets 7 23.33% 5 29.41%
    Various forms of harassment at military checkpoints or in streets by soldiers or settlers 15 50.00% 14 82.35%

To View the Full Factsheet as PDF

The content of this document does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the study lies entirely with MIFTAH

http://www.miftah.org