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Most Palestinian private schools are concentrated in the central West Bank, i.e.: in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem, although there are a few private schools in other areas, including the Gaza Strip. They are schools set up either by one of the Christian denominations, the Islamic Waqf (endowments and estates, Ednet), or by individuals (the latter mostly applicable to nurseries and kindergartens). Private schools enjoy economic independence and consequently have the freedom to concentrate on particular courses, enrich curricula with subjects such as music, vocational education, journalism and computer courses, and to offer extracurricular activities. They may also offer programs that include foreign languages such as English and French. Private schools are free to choose their weekends, daily schedules and timetables, and methods of evaluation and examination, and in some cases, the entire educational program.
These prerogatives do not mean that private schools do not have problems. They share those of the government and UNRWA schools, such as the lack of an appropriate Palestinian curriculum and a philosophy of education; the use of traditional teaching methods dependent on rote learning and repetition; unsuitable, unequipped and overcrowded classrooms and the lack of educational materials. Private schools suffered from Occupation measures as much as other schools. Moreover, the deteriorating economic situation has seriously affected parents' ability to pay fees, resulting in the appointment of insufficiently qualified teachers and a lack of educational development and improvement.
It is generally agreed upon that these problems were caused by the fact that Palestinians were not allowed to design their own, appropriate curricula, and by the absence of a monitoring and development system able to finance education, cooperate with the community and parallel international, cultural and scientific development. Schools have not bee able to keep track of the enormous development in education elsewhere in the world. This is particularly true of private schools, which lack in-service training and refresher courses as well as professional supervision. In some cases, teachers in these schools are subject to directors who are not properly qualified in education, are strongly influenced by Boards and parents, and work according to outdate Jordanian law or ignore the law entirely (although some schools have applied this law in a positive manner).
Hopes and expectations in private schools for a nearing solution of these problems are high after the transfer of education authority to the PNA and as opportunities for improvement, so strongly desired but so often thwarted, have finally come. However, although problems in private schools are fewer than those in government schools, government-initiated educational improvement and development will affect private schools to a much lesser extent because the PNA, like governments in other countries, does not finance private schools, build extra classrooms, or provide educational materials or teachers to them. What private schools will receive is educational supervision, and directives which the schools will have to implement. As for the question of curricula, this is a difficult task which requires professional staff and planning.
It is still early to speak of changes in the field of education as only a short time has passed since the transfer of educational authority to the PNA. Therefore it is difficult to give a picture of what may happen because work has not really started yet. The task ahead is immensely difficult and the authority should be given a chance to prove its worth. We cannot but have high hopes; success is the only forward for the PNA!
Elaine Clark
Educational Network, POB 66, Ramallah, West Bank
tel: 02 995 6230/fax: 02 995 6231 e-mail: eclark@ednet.birzeit.edu