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he state of the education system in Palestinian territories can seem somewhat confusing. On the surface, Palestine’s high literacy rate of 97.4% in 2019, according to the data from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS), paints a positive picture of the education system in the West Bank and Gaza despite the constant war and political unrest.
However, when we dive deeper into the reality of education in Palestine, especially at the college and university levels, the situation is distressing and highly challenging, both for the students and the educational institutions. This is the reason students need charities that support Palestinian education.
It’s essential to spread awareness on the actual state of higher education in the West Bank and Gaza and shed some light on the plight of the students. So, let’s take a closer look at the major challenges and difficulties surrounding the higher education system in Palestinian territories.
Overview of Higher Education System in Gaza and West Bank
The tertiary education system in the West Bank and Gaza comprises 14 universities with 18 colleges and 20 community colleges, and one open university. These colleges and universities offer a wide variety of subjects and courses in humanities, social science, arts, and technology. In addition, technical and vocational courses are also available in community colleges in fields like commerce, agriculture, nursing, and economics.
Bachelor’s degree courses in university colleges usually last for four years, while diploma and vocational courses in community colleges last for two years. Statistics from the 2016-2017 academic session show that around 218,000 students were enrolled in different colleges. This figure indicates that thousands of students in Palestine transition from high school to college every year.
Challenges and Obstacles in Higher Education
So far, it seems like Palestine has an exceptional literacy rate, a decent number of colleges and universities, and thousands of students graduating from high school to university education annually. However, the ground reality is that a significant portion of the West Bank and Gaza student population either fail to enroll in colleges or drop out from college before obtaining their degree.
According to Walid Mizyed, Founder & Executive Director of Reach Education fund, “First it was the Nakbha of 1948 than the Naksah of 1967 and until now, many Palestinians have been forced to live as refugees facing social and financial difficulties yet Education was their only hope for survival.”
From poverty and economic difficulties to the ongoing war and unrest, various reasons challenge students in obtaining higher education. The biggest obstacles and problems in Palestine’s education system are explained below:
Effects of War and Destruction
Colleges and universities have been the target of various bombings in the West Bank and Gaza. It has caused damage to the infrastructure but what’s more serious is that due to such bombings, these institutions become unsafe for students and teachers. There have been a few incidents of educational institutions being bombed in Palestinian territories due to tensions with neighboring regions.
A 2014 incident saw a military clash that led to the destruction of 3 universities and more than 140 schools. Looking at a more recent incident from May 2021, all universities in Gaza had to be shut down due to military attacks, and around 31 schools were damaged due to bombings.
The long-running tensions and attacks in the region have created a hostile environment in the West Bank and Gaza. Universities and colleges are devastated by the damage caused due to bombings, and it has become unsafe to conduct regular classes in these institutions.
Poverty and Problems with Affordability
Poverty is one of the major reasons that many Palestinian students cannot access higher education. According to a 2017 report by the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics, almost 30% of individuals in Palestine were living in poverty, while another 16.8% of individuals were even below the poverty line.
Some statistics from The Borgen Project provide insights into how the deplorable economic condition of Palestinians impacts education affordability. The statistics show that just 13% of students achieve a Bachelor’s degree, and only 11% of students aged 18 years or older attend higher education. Due to poor living conditions, many families can’t afford the expenses associated with college and university education.
Apart from the tuition fees, other additional expenses include educational materials, books, projects, laptops, and computers. When families struggle just to make ends meet, it becomes almost impossible to afford a college education. In present times, frequent lockdowns have led to businesses shutting down, and lots of people have lost their source of income. This has further worsened the already poor financial conditions of many families. For this very reason, students in Gaza are dropping out of universities at an alarming rate.
Lack of Infrastructure
The situation is not just challenging for students, but equally so for universities and colleges. One huge problem for colleges is the lack of proper infrastructure.
Due to damage caused by occasional bombings and airstrikes, colleges and universities need to perform repairs from time to time. But the blockade imposed on Gaza by Israel makes it extremely difficult to provide basic construction and building materials to the strip. Hence, colleges have to go through a great deal of ordeal to repair their infrastructure.
Due to recently escalated tensions between Hamas and Israel, the blockade on Gaza has become more severe. And this problem doesn’t just affect the educational infrastructure but other sectors such as healthcare, sanitation, hygiene, and water resources. Due to the poor infrastructure of educational buildings and lack of reconstruction materials, many colleges cannot conduct regular academic sessions.
Difficulties in E-learning
Due to the pandemic, colleges all around the world have shifted to an online mode of education. Classes are conducted through digital mediums with video conferencing apps such as Zoom and Google Meet. However, colleges in the West Bank and Gaza have been unable to implement e-learning systems due to various reasons.
The first reason is that bombings and airstrikes have also damaged internet and network infrastructures. As a result, so many Palestinians do not have access to the continuous, uninterrupted internet connection. Another reason is that considering the poor financial conditions of people, many students can’t even afford or access the laptops and smartphones needed for online classes.
Colleges and universities have made efforts to implement online learning, but many students and faculty have expressed their doubts. So even as e-learning is becoming the norm in other countries, it’s challenging to adapt to online classes in the West Bank and Gaza.
Lack of Funding and Financing
Colleges in Palestine cannot sustain simply on tuition fees from students. As explained earlier, due to rising poverty, many students can’t even afford to pay their fees. So colleges must also depend on government funding or financing and donations from other private parties and organizations. However, many institutions are suffering due to a lack of sufficient funding.
Of course, some educational institutions under the United Nations Relief Work Agency (UNRWA) are doing well and trying their best to provide affordable education. But the public and private institutions often face a severe shortage of funds. A detailed report on Higher Education in the Palestinian Territory highlights how colleges and universities are unable to offer quality education due to a lack of finances.
Science and technical colleges are most affected since such courses require additional equipment, machines, and facilities like labs and research projects. Unfortunately, due to limited funds, colleges cannot acquire expert academic staff, all necessary resources, and facilities.
An Urgent Need to Support Higher Education in Palestine
Education is a basic right for every individual. Students in the West Bank and Gaza who cannot attain higher education due to various reasons are actually being deprived of their right to education. As such, there is an urgent need to help and uplift such students.
Education is essential to empower them and make them capable of creating a livelihood for themselves. Many students in Palestinian territories are highly talented, smart, and eager to complete their higher education. Yet, they are trapped in circumstances where they cannot attend college and aim for a bright future for no fault of their own.
That is why there is an urgent need to support such deserving students and assist them in completing their higher education which is their right. Various charities support Palestinian education, but their efforts are still not enough to overcome all the challenges discussed above. More people and organizations should step up to support Palestinian education.
There’s a huge population of college students in the West Bank and Gaza, and most of them are victims of war and politics. And despite their best intentions, even colleges and universities are riddled with many problems which limit their abilities to impart quality education. In such a situation, external support from individuals and organizations that support Palestinian student’s education can be a huge relief and shape the career of many young, gifted learners. With your support and contribution, they can dream of a better future.
How to Sponsor Palestinian Student’s Education?
Various organizations are making efforts to improve higher education in the West Bank and Gaza through sponsorships and scholarships. However, such organizations also depend on fundings and donations from other individuals or institutions. Therefore, you can contribute to their cause and sponsor a student to attend college in Palestine by making whatever big or small donations from your part.
But that’s not the only thing you can do to support the needy and deserving students of Palestine. Another essential factor is to raise awareness about this matter, so more people can understand the sad yet undeniable truth about the disheartening state of higher education in Palestinian territories. And by doing so, hopefully, the financial support for this cause will also gradually increase.
Reach Education Fund – A Non-Profit Organization Dedicated to Supporting Students in Palestine
Founded in 2014, Reach Education Fund (REF) is a US-based non-profit organization that strives to support higher education for deserving students in Palestine through merit-based Gaza student scholarships. We have awarded scholarships to 471 students since our foundation.
Its founder, Walid Mizyed, hailed from the Palestinian town Silwad and personally witnessed many of his friends, gifted students and dedicated learners, unable to attend college and sacrifice their higher education due to financial shortcomings. Such incidents served as the motivation that led to the foundation of REF.
Reach Education Fund Mission
The main goal of Reach Education Fund is to pave the way for students who demonstrate their will, passion, and dedication to pursue higher education and contribute to their communities. We focus on orphans and underprivileged students so that their circumstances may not deprive them of their right to education.
To make sure that we support the best and most deserving students, we have set selection criteria where we consider their financial background as well as their academic performance. In addition, we are connected with 17 universities in Palestinian Territories and offer scholarships for various Bachelor’s, Master’s, and even Ph.D. programs.
Support Our Cause for the Betterment of Palestinian Students
In our mission to uplift the state of higher education in Palestine, we need your help and support. Your donations can be of immense help to us in sponsoring needy, incredibly gifted, but financially troubled students in the conflicted territories of Palestine.
For those who cannot donate for university scholarships to orphaned students in Palestine, you can still support university scholarships to orphaned students in Gaza by choosing to volunteer at Reach Education Fund.
Be it through donations or by choosing to volunteer. Your support can make a big difference in our mission and the lives of underprivileged yet deserving students of the West Bank and Gaza.
