EDUCATION
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The West Bank and Gaza Strip face difficult times due to conflicts, political tensions, and their crippling economy. As such, the normal livelihoods of people and various infrastructures like healthcare, transport, and trade market are severely affected. One of the sectors that have faced a huge blow in Palestinian territories is education.
The ongoing conflict and rising poverty in the West Bank and Gaza have left many families struggling just for food, housing, and basic survival needs. A significant portion of Palestine’s population lives hand to mouth, so these people cannot afford higher education. That is why for many students, their formal education ends at tenth grade or high school. What’s very disheartening is that many of these students happen to be talented and diligent and can have a bright future if they get the opportunity to pursue a university education.
Deserving students should not be deprived of their right to education and the chance to shape their careers. But the only way they can attend colleges and universities is through scholarships and sponsorships from charities that support children’s education. Let’s dive deeper into the poor living conditions of Palestinians, how poverty has deprived many brilliant students of higher education, and why scholarships are their only hope of attending universities.
Higher Education Sector in Palestine
The higher education sector of Palestine includes public and private university colleges as well as community colleges. For three years, the universities and university colleges offer four-year bachelor programs, two-year long master programs, and doctoral programs in selected disciplines. On the other hand, community colleges offer two-year-long diploma courses in various commercial and technical fields.
There are 15 universities, 20 university colleges, and 19 community colleges in the West Bank and Gaza combined. Among them, 1 university college and 2 community colleges are under the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. But these colleges fall short compared to a large number of students in Palestine. In the 2016-17 academic year, there were reportedly 218,415 students across 49 institutions.
Having to accommodate large amounts of students is not the only challenge in the tertiary education sector of the West Bank and Gaza. A report on Palestine’s education system highlighted some more challenges such as:
- Shortage of teaching staff
- Low salary but high work pressure for teaching staff
- Lack of funding, which affects the quality of education, services, and facilities that institutions can offer.
And on top of everything else, the political tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are always causing safety concerns for these educational institutions. So, the higher education sector in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has to face many obstacles to provide quality education to students.
Overview of Political Conflicts in Palestine and Its Effect on Education
Israel-Palestine conflict leads to many attacks from both sides. In Palestine, it’s not the West Bank but the Gaza Strip that faces the brunt of Israeli strikes.
Back in May 2021, seven universities in Gaza had to close down due to damages caused by military attacks. The biggest university in the Gaza Strip – the Islamic University of Gaza, was one of the primary targets of bombings. Al-Quds University was also damaged by bombs and tear gas attacks. But even the West Bank has had its fair share of political troubles in the education sector. In 2019, students at Birzeit University were detained for openly expressing their support towards Hamas.
All these incidents hamper the accessibility of higher education for students. At a time where they should be studying, expanding their knowledge, and acquiring valuable skills, they end up being victims of war instead. Instead of pursuing their passion in various subjects with a curious, unbiased mind, the ongoing conflict affects many students, making them swayed by various political ideologies.
In addition, the war and turmoil have also devastated the economy of Palestinian territories. The blockade imposed by Israel since 2007 is also a significant factor that led to the downfall of Gaza’s economy as it takes away their opportunity to earn revenue through international trade and also cuts off or limits the transport of many essential goods in and out of Gaza.
So, in such an unstable, degrading economic atmosphere, when many people have a hard time fulfilling their day-to-day needs, how can they even consider spending money on a college education? Hence, the political conflicts and wars have directly impacted students, rendering them incapable of pursuing higher education.
Why Students Cannot Afford to Attend Universities in Palestine
Even though Palestine has a high literacy rate of 97.4%, that’s because most children under 15 years in the West Bank and Gaza complete their basic schooling. However, the reality is quite heartbreaking when it comes to higher education. Many students never get the chance to attend colleges and universities due to financial shortcomings.
Statistics show that about 13% of students in Palestinian territory achieve their Bachelor’s degree, and only 11.4% of students above the age of 18 attend any form of education. Thus, it’s quite clear that a large majority of individuals do not pursue university and college education.
And things get worse, as even among those who do join colleges, many drop out as they cannot pay their fees and keep up with the expenses. The Covid-19 outbreak is the latest factor, as many families have lost their source of income with businesses and offices shutting down due to lockdown.
Last year, there were reports of students in Master’s degree programs in Gaza dropping out of universities after being unable to pay their fees. The same report also cited that in 2019, over two-third of students couldn’t afford to pay their fees, so the dropout rates that year were about 70%. Even much before the pandemic, all the way back in 2016, there were still many incidents of Palestinian students going into debt and having to unwillingly drop out of college because they couldn’t afford it.
Many of those students could possibly have bright futures if they could be sponsored by charities the support Palestinian education. But left to their own devices, they don’t have the financial strength to complete their university education due to rising poverty in Palestine.
Poverty in Palestine
The Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics published a report that provided insights into the living standards of Palestinian people. According to the report, poverty rates in Palestine were 29.2%, and 30.3% of people were earning wages that were even below the deep poverty line. The same report also shows how expenses on education are a low priority for individuals, as it takes the ninth spot in the monthly per capita expenditure categories. Data from Oxfam also suggests that 50% of Palestine’s population relies on humanitarian aid, while there have been reports that about 1.3 million people in Palestine can’t even access or afford nutritious food.
Unemployment in Palestine
One of the reasons for the increase in poverty rates and decline in living conditions in Palestine is unemployment. According to a UNCTAD report, the unemployment rate in Palestinian territory in 2016 was 27%; in Gaza alone, it was 42%. Many people had even lost their morale and motivation to work, dropped out of the labor force, and left looking for jobs.
A more recent report from 2021 shows that unemployment rates are still in the range of 26% to 27%. So, in the past few years, the rate of unemployment has been almost constant while the population has been continuously increasing. As a result, it’s very difficult for many families in Palestine to make a proper living and earn decent wages. With whatever little they earn, food, housing, clothing, transport, etc., are prioritized over education.
The Sad Reality of Poverty Afflicted Students in Palestine
These statistics bring us face to face with the grim reality of how the people of Palestine live every day. As a result, thousands of students have to give up on their dream of attending colleges and universities as they can barely afford to meet their basic needs, let alone pay for tuition fees. Many students who display excellent academic performance in schools don’t even get a chance to showcase their brilliance in college. But the only glimmer of hope for them is through scholarships that sponsor Palestinian student’s education.
Other Challenges in Higher Education
The biggest barrier to university education for students in Palestine is poverty. But if that’s the case, why can’t colleges and universities make education cheaper? Well, even educational institutions don’t have it easy. Universities in Palestine depend on revenue from tuition fees as well as external fundings. In recent years, they have faced a serious shortage of funding which has depleted their finances, making it difficult for them to pay wages to faculties and improve their quality of education.
If these institutions were to make their fees cheaper, they would be losing more money, seriously impacting the education standards. So, Palestine’s declining economy is not just affecting students but also posing a serious challenge for universities and colleges to offer high-quality education while also making some revenue and sustaining their finances.
And that is why it can be of great help to both students and institutions if some help can pour in from other agencies to support Palestinian education.
Scholarships and Sponsorships are The Only Hope for Many Palestinian Students
All the points discussed above – political conflict, poverty, unemployment – altogether create huge obstacles for many deserving students who wish to pursue higher education and build respectable, successful careers. Every individual should have the right to education, but thousands of Palestinian students are deprived of this right. For families living in poverty, it’s almost impossible for them to afford the tuition fees for colleges and universities.
The only hope in such cases is to rely on scholarships from various charitable organizations that donate to Palestinian education. It can give academically gifted students a fresh opportunity to dream for a brighter future. By supporting the needy students in the West Bank and Gaza, they can also develop their careers and perhaps even contribute to the upliftment of Palestine. The youth are the future, and education is a must to empower them. If they are unable to afford higher education due to poor circumstances, the only way they can attend colleges is by relying on charities that sponsor a student to attend college in Palestine.
Reach Education Fund – Palestine Charity Organization that Offers Scholarships for University Education
Reach Education Fund (REF) is a nonprofit organization based in the US that offers scholarships to deserving and underprivileged students in the West Bank and Gaza. It has awarded 471 scholarships so far, and it aims to increase that number by sponsoring more students. It also prioritizes orphans and support university scholarships to orphan students in Gaza.
“I strongly believe that through our scholarship program we can make a huge positive impact on the lives of Palestinians and on society,” says Walid Mizyed, Founder & Executive Director.
Reach Education Fund conducts a thorough screening process to ensure that it sponsors the most deserving students so that they can pursue subjects and fields that interest them and build their careers in various sectors.
How to Help– Donate to a Palestinian Student Education
Despite REF best efforts, many talented yet financially deprived students in the West Bank and Gaza still need our help. As a nonprofit organization, it’s dependent on the financial support it gets from its benefactors and sponsors. As such, it’s in great need of people who can join in and contribute to its mission to give for college education in the West Bank and Gaza.
This is an appeal to lend a helping hand to the needy students in Palestine. Through whatever big or small contributions, please consider donating for university scholarships to gifted Palestinian students, as it may be the only option for them to pursue higher education and dream for a better future. If you are aware of the plight of individuals in Palestine and have ever wondered how to support Palestinian students’ education, then please join this noble cause with your donations.
