Abstract:

Introduction: This paper aims to discus the related issues as existed in the Palestinian education. The Palestinian people is highly motivated for learning, this comes from their living conditions and to the fact that education for Palestinians is considered as a way to survive, when the majority of the Palestinians lost their own homes, lands and properties in 1948, and thereafter in 1967 when the rest of Palestine fall down under the Israeli occupation. Thus; no people considered education as the only singe of hope as Palestinians do, this is apply to four millions of Palestinians living home as well as five millions living in expatriates and refugee camps abroad. Accordingly, the Palestinian educational system has unique merits, which is related to being under occupation facing a daily collective measures, it is connected to struggle for independent and national cause. Nevertheless, Palestinians have a highly literary rate of 92% of population, as well as there is a significant share of female in all processes of education compared to developing countries.

Historical Background: Teaching in Palestine was limited to children until 1869, when the new Ottoman education system was introduced, which provided official public education as free and compulsory at the elementary stage. Vocational education was first introduced during the British mandate period. After 1948 Great Catastrophe and partitioning of Palestine, two different educational systems were existed; the Jordanian system in the West Bank and the Egyptian system in the Gaza Strip. After 1967 war, when the rest of Palestine occupied by Israel, the education system remained intact under the occupation, and the Palestinian people struggled to keep educational process continue despite barriers, collective punishment, and frequent closures of educational institutions. However, the Palestinian education system witnessed significant changes when the Palestinian Authority had been emerged in 1994. Today the Palestinian Educational system includes more than one million students in primary and secondary schools, 50,000 teachers, and 2276 schools distributed over 31,000 classes. Of the total 35% are schools allocated for boys, 35% for girls, and 30% are co-educated schools, while 70% of The Palestinian educational system finances and conducts by the Palestinian Authority, 24% run by UNRWA that teach Palestinian refugees, and 6% are private schools. In addition, there are about 138,000 students enrolled in 11 universities, 13 university colleges, and 18 community colleges (PNA, ME, 2006).

Gender Issue in Palestinian Education: Gender issue in Palestinian educational system has positive aspects as reported by a study conducted by the author. It found that there is an equal opportunity to access for education in different levels, equal opportunity for employment in educational system, awareness of gender in curriculum materials, in textbooks, in stereotypes in extracurricular activities, in laws and regulations, schools practices, and public conscious. This situation is materialized by the fact that 52% of the Palestinian higher education and 51% of secondary and primary education are females. In addition, 50% of Palestinian teachers are females in government, UNRWA, and private schools.

However, there are some disadvantages in this regards. For example, the majority of females majoring in educational and arts disciplines compared to males who prefer medicines, engineering, pharmacy, and sciences. There are about 50% of teachers are females while only 20% working in professional jobs including dentists, Journalists, lawyers, chemists, and civil engineers. For faculty members and staff working in Palestinian higher education only 20% are females. Other disadvantage of gender issue is in the specialization aspect. In a study conducted by the author shows that parents direct their sons to study professional majors while at the same time direct their daughters to be mainly teachers, even they dislike the profession or have superior academic performance. They regard teaching a suitable profession for a girl, especially after marriage, when work hours allow for to take care of her family and home as well. In addition, girls view teaching as a respectable profession.

Education under Occupation: serious problems created by the Israeli occupation, started at the moment of occupation in 1967, continued during the period and escalated during first Intifada since 1988 and up to 1993, and resumed during second Intifada (from 2000 up to now). This includes collective and partial closures of educational institutions for all levels frequently and for long times, in some cases the time of closures continued up to three years. Other measures including deportation, and detention of students, teachers and other employees working in the education sector, restrictions on freedom of movement for teachers and students  in order to obstruct the educational process. In addition, to preventing all alternative education models and using the schools locations as temporary military posts in most of the major cities. To defeat the occupation measures; the Palestinian use to teach off-campus for university students and popular education. Popular education conducted by popular and neighborhood committees using uncovered classes in mosques, churches and private houses to teach students, thought integrated class's sachem. Other two issues were against Palestinian education. First: is building the apartheid wall inside the Palestinian areas that created serious problems by isolating many schools from their respective students and teachers. The second issue is holding returns and taxes of more than 500 millions US$ belong to Palestinians Authority by the Israelis as respond to the new elected Palestinian government, which led not to pay salaries for about 35000 government teachers.

Educational accomplishments under siege: In spite of the educational situation in Palestine and the limited allocated financial sources, various positive aspects may be found out, as stated by a recent World Bank report issued in September 2006. It stated that the gross enrolment ratio for Palestinian secondary education is above 80%, which is highly equitable with respect to gender, rural, urban, refugee status, and household income, it is considered in the lead among the Middle East and North Africa region. This is also applied to the high enrolment rate in higher education, which is above 40 % for the 18-24 ages. In addition, Palestinian eight graders scored above average of MENA countries in International Mathematics & Science Study (TIMSS).