Skip to main content

Israeli Curriculum Draws Criticism In East Jerusalem Schools

The addition of the Israeli curriculum to five schools in east Jerusalem has been heavily criticized by Palestinian officials.
Palestinian first-graders sit with their schoolbooks during class in the West Bank city of Ramallah February 4, 2013. Israelis and Palestinians depict each other in schoolbooks as an enemy and largely deny their adversary's history and existence, according to a U.S. government-funded study published on Monday. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: EDUCATION POLITICS) - RTR3DCH4

It was reported on Aug. 30 that five Israeli-administered Palestinian schools operating in east Jerusalem have added the Israeli curriculum to their programs, causing a political firestorm. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the move, noting that it is part of a campaign dating back to 1967 to rewrite Palestinian history and undermine Palestinians' identity. He also asserted that the imposition of the curriculum was a violation of international law and indicated that Israel had no intention of ending its occupation.

Within weeks of the occupation of the West Bank in 1967, Israel extended its law and administration to east Jerusalem. Law and Ordinance Order no. 11, passed by the Knesset on June 27, 1967, declared the Palestinians of Jerusalem permanent residents, giving them and their institutions the same legal status as that of Israeli institutions in Tel Aviv. The Palestinians, however, were not granted automatic citizenship, but were eligible to apply for passports.

Imposing Israeli law and administration on east Jerusalem Palestinians caused consternation in the education sector, with early attempts by Israel to instate its curriculum backfiring badly. When schools opened in fall 1967, all government-run schools adopting the Israeli curriculum found themselves without students, because the childrens' parents had decided to send them to schools outside Jerusalem, where the Jordanian curriculum continued to be used. After the Oslo Accords of 1993, these schools adopted a Palestinian curriculum. In all cases, 12th-grade students sat for the tawijhi secondary exam, which was authorized by Jordan and therefore recognized in all Arab and other countries in the region.

East Jerusalemites have a variety of schooling options for their children. There are Israeli government–operated schools that teach the Israeli curriculum, municipality-run schools that teach the Palestinian curriculum and a host of private schools of varying standards that basically use the Palestinian curriculum but also adhere to American or British curricula and exams. A number of schools in the Jerusalem area are operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Four UNRWA-run schools operate in the Shufat refugee camp in east Jerusalem.

Many of the private schools are sponsored by Christian or Muslim religious organizations and orders. Catholic and Protestant schools, as well as Islamic waqf schools, have proliferated in Jerusalem. Most private schools are administered on a tuition basis, which covers operating costs but requires fundraising for development. Jordan’s Islamic Waqf Ministry funds the schools that it oversees. These waqf schools recently received additional budgetary support from Queen Rania’s Madrasati program for construction as well as for teacher training and extracurricular activities.

As East Jerusalem's population has increased, resulting greater demands on education have not been met in terms of classrooms. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) petitioned Israeli courts in 2012, outlining discriminatory policies in budgets between east Jerusalem and west Jerusalem schools. In a 2012 study on the topic, ACRI found that “the shortage of classrooms in east Jerusalem is a result of a discriminatory policy that Israel has been consistently implementing in east Jerusalem since its annexation in 1967.”

The recent decision of the five schools to switch to the Israeli curriculum has exposed a problem that has been festering for quite some time. In addition to revealing discriminatory school budgets and discrepancies in infrastructure, statistics show a large number of student dropouts among Palestinians. The ACRI report noted a 40% dropout rate among Palestinian high school seniors.

The problem of students dropping out has resulted in part from the availability of work opportunities for young east Jerusalemites (excluding Palestinians from the rest of the West Bank) as well as issues in the education system. The monthly minimum wage in Israel is NIS 4,300 ($1,200), which is more than what college graduates make in other parts of the West Bank, thus prompting many east Jerusalem youth to seek jobs as soon as they reach the age of employment.

The crisis of education in east Jerusalem is a reflection of decades of ignoring the status of Palestinians in Jerusalem, who have been abandoned by all parties to the conflict or have been made inaccessible. Israel pays little attention to the city’s Arab population, while the Palestinian government is prevented from taking responsibility for their welfare.

Daoud Kuttab is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor's Palestine Pulse. A Palestinian journalist and media activist, he is a former Ferris Professor of journalism at Princeton University and is currently the director-general of Community Media Network, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing independent media in the Arab region. On Twitter: @daoudkuttab

Join hundreds of Middle East professionals with Al-Monitor PRO.

Business and policy professionals use PRO to monitor the regional economy and improve their reports, memos and presentations. Try it for free and cancel anytime.

Already a Member? Sign in

Free

The Middle East's Best Newsletters

Join over 50,000 readers who access our journalists dedicated newsletters, covering the top political, security, business and tech issues across the region each week.
Delivered straight to your inbox.

Free

What's included:
Our Expertise

Free newsletters available:

  • The Takeaway & Week in Review
  • Middle East Minute (AM)
  • Daily Briefing (PM)
  • Business & Tech Briefing
  • Security Briefing
  • Gulf Briefing
  • Israel Briefing
  • Palestine Briefing
  • Turkey Briefing
  • Iraq Briefing
Expert

Premium Membership

Join the Middle East's most notable experts for premium memos, trend reports, live video Q&A, and intimate in-person events, each detailing exclusive insights on business and geopolitical trends shaping the region.

$25.00 / month
billed annually

Become Member Start with 1-week free trial
What's included:
Our Expertise AI-driven

Memos - premium analytical writing: actionable insights on markets and geopolitics.

Live Video Q&A - Hear from our top journalists and regional experts.

Special Events - Intimate in-person events with business & political VIPs.

Trend Reports - Deep dive analysis on market updates.

All premium Industry Newsletters - Monitor the Middle East's most important industries. Prioritize your target industries for weekly review:

  • Capital Markets & Private Equity
  • Venture Capital & Startups
  • Green Energy
  • Supply Chain
  • Sustainable Development
  • Leading Edge Technology
  • Oil & Gas
  • Real Estate & Construction
  • Banking

We also offer team plans. Please send an email to pro.support@al-monitor.com and we'll onboard your team.

Already a Member? Sign in

Palestine Briefing Palestine Briefing

Palestine Briefing

Top Palestine stories in your inbox each week

Trend Reports

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (4th R) attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd L) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on February 22, 2019. (Photo by HOW HWEE YOUNG / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read HOW HWEE YOUNG/AFP via Getty Images)
Premium

From roads to routers: The future of China-Middle East connectivity

A general view shows the solar plant in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, on March 29, 2018. - On March 27, Saudi announced a deal with Japan's SoftBank to build the world's biggest solar plant. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Premium

Regulations on Middle East renewable energy industry starting to take shape

Start your PRO membership today.

Join the Middle East's top business and policy professionals to access exclusive PRO insights today.

Join Al-Monitor PRO Start with 1-week free trial