“WE BELIEVE IN EDUCATION AS WE BELIEVE IN GOD”[1]

REPORT OF THE 2005 NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS’ VISIT TO PALESTINE

  1. Introduction and Context

June and July in 2005 were months of intense interest for all those with international perspective. Make Poverty History campaigners were finalising preparations for the march in Edinburgh on 2 July with thousands of NUT members expected to take part; the G8 leaders were arriving in Gleneagles to consider far reaching proposals on international development, the demand to get every child into school by the year 2015. And as the delegation were packing their suitcases in London suicide bombs were being planned that would explode close to NUT head office near Kings Cross, Tavistock Square and Russell Square killing more than 50 innocent people. All these events grabbed the headlines and the attention of people across the world.

The delegation held many memorable meetings with teachers and other educationalists; they watched children in summer schools eager to learn and play a part in freeing their country but memorable too was the journey back from Hebron to our accommodation at the St Georges Cathedral in Jerusalem when we first learned of the new attacks in London and the killing of an innocent electrician shot dead by marksman from the Metropolitan police.

Travelling anywhere in Israel at this time from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem it was clear that the proposed evacuation of settlers from Gaza was a major political issue. Many cars in west Jerusalem were decorated with orange ribbon as a sign of solidarity with the settlers. Alternative colours expressing support for the withdrawal were also evident but much less prominent.

This all provided a backdrop to a delegation from the National Union of Teachers pleased to visit Palestineand our friends in the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT).

The visit was organised by the GUPT. Once again the GUPT provided generous hospitality and solidarity to the NUT. It is obvious and beyond question that both organisations value each others’ friendship. The NUT is proud of its work with the GUPT and its wider work on the Middle East. The NUT is proud too that it has played a leading role on issues concerning the Middle East within the teachers’ international organisation - Education International. The National Union of Teachers’ links with the GUPT extend over many years. The NUT played a prominent role in assisting GUPT membership of Education International and in speaking up for Palestinian rights, in particular the right to education.

The NUT has close links too and is a great friend of the Israel Teachers’ Union (ITU). The National Union of Teachers values very highly such friendships and appreciates too its obligations to both the ITU and the GUPT.

The following factors formed the context for the Union’s visit to Palestine:

  • The Education International (EI) Report of the 2002 EI Mission to the PalestinianTerritories and Israel; (See Appendix 1)
  • the Union’s good relations with the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT) and the Israeli Teachers’ Union (ITU);
  • EI resolutions of 2001 and 2004 on the situation in Palestine and Israel;
  • NUT resolutions on Palestine;
  • the Union’s joint work with Education Action International (EAI) on the Right to Education Initiative in Palestine and Israel and on the Tom Hurndall Scholarship Fund;
  • the ITU dispute with the Israeli Government on teachers’ pay and conditions of service; and
  • the London bombings on 7th July and their impact worldwide.

It should be noted that the Union’s intention was to visit both the GUPT and the ITU. Unfortunately, due to the summer vacation and schools not being in session, there were difficulties in finding dates to visit the ITU. In the event, the Union made a visit to the GUPT only, with a visit to the ITU to be undertaken sometime in the near future.

  1. Programme

The delegation arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday 19th July and transferred to the hostel at the St Georges Cathedral in East Jerusalem where we stayed for the duration of our visit. Meetings were held in East Jerusalemon Wednesday 20th July with the Directorate of Education, the GUPT Education Centre and the Jerusalem Executive of the GUPT, and the Al-Quds Open University. A scheduled meeting with the Al-Quds University was abandoned due to an incident involving the Palestinian security forces at one of the campuses which required the urgent attention of the senior staff of the University that the delegation were due to meet.

On Thursday 21st July the delegation visited Hebron city where it met with the Executive members of the GUPT for the area, the Director of Education and a Palestinian Child Arts Centre.

Friday 22nd July was spent in Bethlehem where the delegation visited BethlehemUniversity and held a meeting with the General Union of University Teachers and Employees. The delegation also visited the Palestinian Wildlife Society nearBethlehem.Hazem Qumsieh, the international secretary of the GUPT is the President of the wildlife society.

The delegation wishes to express its thanks and gratitude to all of the people it met who took the time to host us and explain complex, sensitive and difficult issues. The delegation was extended every courtesy and kindness by the GUPT in particular, and all the institutions and individuals who met with us. The delegation would like top thank in particular Mr Mohammed Sowan, President of the General Union of Palestinian Teachers, Mr Hazem Qumsieh, International Secretary, and their families.

  1. The Directorate of Education, Jerusalem

On the morning of Wednesday 20th July the delegation met with officials from the Jerusalem Directorate of Education, including the Director of Education, Mr Abed Elmuhsen Jaber and the School Health Expert, Dr Khuloud Khayyat Dajani. In addition, those attending the meeting included Executive members of the GUPT and the President, Mr Mohamed Sowen.

The Director of Education gave a brief presentation to the delegation in which he raised the following issues:

  • Considerable difficulties are caused by the construction of the wall which does not allow a large number of students, teachers, doctors and tradesmen from entering the holy land of Jerusalem. This has impacted particularly on the educational, health and commercial sectors.
  • The wall has separated neighbours and placed them on different sides of the wall.
  • The wall is in breach of international law and works against the principles of international human rights.
  • The international community needs to help to defend and protect Jerusalem.
  • The new academic year will start with the problem of lack of access for teachers to schools due to the restriction in their movement from the West Bank to Jerusalem.

The delegation was struck by the preparation undertaken by the Director for the presentation and by the strength of feelings expressed particularly by Dr Khuloud Khayyat Dajani. In the discussion that followed the issues set out below were raised. Much of the discussions concerning children’s education and health confirmed the findings of the EI delegation to Palestine and Israel in 2002. Steve Sinnott, General Secretary NUT, took part in both delegations.

  • The Directorate needs to deal with all issues which affect children, including their education, welfare and health.
  • The mental health of children in the area is deteriorating – particularly in relation to smoking, substance abuse, bullying and violence.
  • The conflict in the region has had a particularly devastating impact on girls which appears to have affected their outlook on life and indeed their personalities. There appears to be an increase in the sexual, verbal and physical abuse of girls including at home.
  • A large number of children are held in children’s prisons.
  • There is an urgent need for tackling mental health issues in schools, including through specialist counselling and health screening.
  • Whilst the World Health Organisation recommends that all professionals dealing with children should be trained in mental health issues, there is currently little such provision available for teachers in Jerusalem.
  • Dr Khuloud Khayyat Dajani raised the issue of alleged use by the Israeli forces of children as human shields. She referred to a television report showing an Israeli Defence Force vehicle being driven with a child at the front to provide a “shield” for the vehicles occupants.

The delegation was touched by the impact the conflict was having on children. Children’s rights were being trampled upon. The denial of children’s right to education is unacceptable. The issue of the right to education and a child’s right to safety and security should feature as a prominent campaign by Education International and its affiliates.

  1. The GUPT Education Centre and Meeting with Jerusalem Executive of the GUPT

In the afternoon of 20th July, the delegation visited the GUPT Education Centre in Jerusalem. The Education Centre is under the guidance and administration of the GUPT and the teaching in the Centre is carried out by GUPT members, including those on the Executive. This is a very impressive initiative of the GUPT. It once again reflects the important link the GUPT has within Palestinian communities and, significantly, the commitment of all Palestinians to education.

During term time teachers at the Centre coach children after school and during the summer holidays it runs a Summer School in examination subjects. A small charge is required from those attending.

The delegation visited three classes, including a girls’ class of 16, 17 and 18 year olds. The girls were a credit to their families and Palestine. They raised many issues regarding the funding for education and education scholarships. It is clear that young people committed to education were very worried indeed that they may be denied educational opportunities in higher education even after being very successful in their studies and examinations. An investigation by Education International into this issue and together with consideration of promoting scholarships provided by appropriate bodies should be considered.

Many students at the school expressed sadness at the London bombings and condemned the violence that had affected large numbers of Londoners. The students spoke eloquently of the inter-dependent world of which they were a part and expressed their hopes and aspirations for peace and justice in their region and a free Palestine. The delegation was very moved by the sentiments expressed by the pupils and the hopes that they represented.

The visit to the classes was followed by a brief meeting with members of the Jerusalem Executive of the GUPT. The two main issues covered in this meeting included:

  • A request from a member of the Executive for support for the establishment of a language class at the Centre; and
  • the threat of dismissal faced by teachers due to their absence from or late arrival to school due to security checks and arrests.

The delegation confirmed its view that the denial of access to schools for teachers was a denial of children’s right to education. The delegation requested detailed information from the GUPT on the number of teachers who cross military checkpoints to reach their schools. (Information attached as Appendix 2) Again it will be necessary for the NUT to work closely with Education International on these issues.

  1. Al Quds Open University

Dr Sufian Kamal, Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Al Quds Open University provided the delegation with a detailed overview of the origins, the operation and the work of the University. It was pleasing that an idea for open access higher education that has its origins largely in the British Labour movement was being taken up with such enthusiasm and effectiveness in the West Bank.

Some of the details outlined included the following:

  • First ideas on the establishment of an Open University in Palestine started in the late 70s. The decision to establish the OU was taken in 1985 with the establishment of temporary headquarters in AmmanJordan.
  • Field operations in Palestine started in 1991 and were modelled on the UK Open University. Between1991-1993 the OU operated under the auspices of other universities.
  • The OU currently has 45,000 students enrolled in the following academic programmes:
  • Technical and Applied Sciences
  • Social and Family Development
  • Administrative and Economic Sciences
  • Education
  • Agriculture
  • The Academic Programme for Education was the most popular with nearly half of all students taking courses under this programme.
  • The programmes are delivered through 20 study centres in Palestine and three study centres outside Palestine.
  • The aspiration of the OU is to serve Arab countries and to emphasise the Arab dimension, particularly for the Palestinian diaspora.
  • The OU is a member of:
  • The Association of Arab Universities
  • The Arab League of Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisations
  • International Association of Universities
  • International Council for Distance Education
  • Asian Association of Open Universities
  • Arab Network for Open and Distance Education

The OU believed that membership of these organisations enabled credibility for the OU to be built and to help students to work in Arab countries and to get accreditation.

  • More than 50 per cent of the students at the OU are women as they do not have to travel in order to do courses.
  • The OU is positively encouraging disabled students to take its courses.
  • Learning resources for the courses include:
  • Reading materials, including 400 referred texts in Arabic
  • Audio and video materials
  • Computer and Internet Assisted Learning
  • The OU has 876 administrative staff and 300 full-time academic staff.
  • Some element of classroom meetings are organised in order to encourage pupil-teacher interaction.

In the discussion, following the presentation, the areas set out below were covered:

  • The OU aims to encourage democratisation of education and to help students fulfil their potential.
  • There is a need for contact between the OU and the whole of Palestinian society to encourage educational movements in communities as agents for change.
  • 40 per cent of all higher education students all over Palestine take courses with the OU and there is a need for more resources for this to be extended more widely.
  • The movement of students was not overly affected by the roadblocks, but it did have an impact on the movement of teachers.
  • The funding for the OU is raised entirely through student fees. Sometimes donations are received which help students pay their fees through grants.
  • The OU co-operates with the GUPT on scholarships for teachers for professional development.

Education International should be asked to consider how this success story can be promoted through its higher education affiliates and what solidarity and other support might be available to enhance the work of the OU.

  1. Hebron GUPT

On Thursday 21st July, the delegation travelled to Hebron with the first stop to meet the Executive members of Hebron GUPT at the Hebron Children’s Centre. Hebron was the home town of Joseph Allan the representative of Palestinian people in the UK for many years and more recently a Palestinian diplomat in Ireland. Youseff Allan worked closely with the NUT and the trade union movement in the UK for many years. He died some five years ago and is greatly missed. The visit to his home area brought Youseff Allan to our minds.

The delegation was addressed by the General Secretary of the Hebron branch of the GUPT. In his address the General Secretary made the following points:

  • The city of Hebron is the principal city in the area with 150,000 inhabitants.
  • The city is divided into two parts – H1 and H2.
  • H2 is under Israeli occupation with 200 settlers, whereas H1 has a population of 40,000 Palestinians.
  • There are two departments of education for the city, one for each of the North and South parts of the city.
  • The challenges facing education include, in particular, overcrowding in schools. Consequently most schools operate two shifts per day to cope with the large number of pupils.
  • There is a particular concern about teachers who work in schools near the settlements.
  • GUPT services to teachers in the area include:
  • undertaking individual casework;
  • providing a health and insurance service;
  • providing professional development courses;
  • supporting them to send their children to universities through donations; and
  • helping those who are poor and have large families.
  • There are more girls and women teachers in schools and girls are outperforming boys. Men are reluctant to go into teaching as a career due to poor pay levels. Three out of 13 Executive members of the GUPT in Hebron are women.
  • The behaviour of boys is deteriorating, in part due to the political situation.

Once again much of the findings confirm the report of the 2002 Mission by Education International to the PalestinianTerritories and Israel. Boys are turning to violence and girls are often withdrawn. These are seen as classic symptoms of childhood trauma. It was clear too from some of our visits that action was being taken to deal with drug abuse on the part of some sections of youth within Palestinian society.

  1. The Palestinian Child Arts Centre

The delegation visited the above Centre on 21st July. The Centre was running a series of arts related activities as part of the summer school. The activities were focused around the theme of peace and justice.

The delegation was taken on a tour of the Centre by its director Samih Abu Zakieh. The engagement of the children in the activities and the commitment of the director shone through in an impressive manner throughout the delegation’s visit. The atmosphere at the Centre was calm and purposeful.

The visit ended with a musical performance by the children. Their enthusiasm was easy to see and extremely moving.