Education
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© UNICEF-oPt/2008 |
Children face increasing challenges in attaining and completing an education. Enrolment rates have dropped from 96.8 per cent in 2000 to 91.2 per cent in 2007 since the outbreak of the second Intifada .
The effects of the conflict exacerbate already-difficult learning conditions for children. Closures, curfews and military operations continuously disrupt children’s schooling. Poor learning facilities and overcrowded classrooms (with almost 20 per cent of governmental schools working in double shifts) adversely affect students’ ability to learn . Inadequate water and sanitation systems, limited educational and recreational supplies and insufficient facilities for extracurricular activities are among the many challenges schools face.
Educational quality is also suffering. A recent United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) survey found an 80 per cent and 40 per cent failure rate in Math and Arabic exams respectively among fourth to ninth graders in Gaza .
Early childhood and educational programmes are non-comprehensive, uncoordinated and the policies governing their delivery are either non-existent or unimplemented. Only 20 per cent of children ages 3-6 years are enrolled in primary school. Limited community mobilization in early childhood development and the relatively high cost of enrolment in early childhood programmes leave behind children in marginalized communities.
In 2008, UNICEF will focus on improving learning environments for children, despite the closures and violence. It aims to do this by:
- Carrying out a standardized learning achievement test in Arabic and Math for grade 4, to establish a baseline for numeracy and literacy skills at that level;
- Supporting the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) in specialised training for teachers, supervisors, and principals at the 100 lowest-ranking schools in students’ learning achievements;
- Training 300 new university graduates on classroom management and teaching skills to assist grade one teachers with classroom teaching and related classroom work in 50 schools in Gaza;
- Developing the national policy framework on early childhood development;
- Equipping 500 primary schools in the most disadvantaged areas of Gaza, Deir Al Balah, Khan Younis, Hebron, Nablus and Jenin with teaching and learning materials such as pens, notepads and teaching aids to ensure that learning continues uninterrupted in times of emergency; and
- Delivering life skills education to strengthen children’s resilience and coping mechanisms so they are better able to manage stress.
