Ministry for Diaspora Affairs | October 2024

Teacher Training

Teacher training (and representation) takes place in the Palestinian Authority territories under the Ministry of Education & Higher Education’s responsibility and aims to build a unified educational system. Teacher Organizations : These organizations primarily represent teachers in terms of salary, working conditions, and professional training. The largest and most significant organization in this field is the General Union of Palestinian Teachers. Other, smaller organizations influence smaller groups of teachers, usually on professional aspects. Local Educational NGOs : There is extensive activity from NGOs, some local and some international, that run educational projects alongside teacher training. These NGOs are sometimes registered outside the Palestinian Authority— such as in Jordan or the UK—but are led by Palestinians and receive donations from Palestinian organizations and commercial companies. International Organizations and Foreign Governments : Many international organizations operate throughout Judea and Samaria and, to some extent, Gaza, running educational projects. Some of these processes also involve teacher training. Additionally, UN international organizations in the region participate in teacher training as funding sources or by running programs directly. 136 Local Universities : Almost every university offers a degree that enables teachers to undergo training. Some institutions also provide advanced programs and courses for improving teaching, sometimes collaborating with international organizations that fund these programs. According to records from the Ministry of Education, all teachers in the educational system have degrees and certificates, with 100% of teachers meeting the minimum training requirement. According to data from one source, 14% have a diploma (certificate studies), 78% have a bachelor’s degree, and 8% hold higher degrees. 137 Foreign funding for the Palestinian educational system and UNRWA The Palestinian educational system, in particular, like the PA in general, relies heavily on foreign aid. 138 In July 2024, the European Union announced an additional grant to the PA. The funding announcement included its expectations for progress in a series of reforms, including in the educational sector. 139 The main contributors are the European Union, 140 countries within the EU, and the United States (primarily to UNRWA). 141

136 For example, Finland - The Olive Project: Teacher Education Without Walls - New Models for STEM and Teacher Training in the Digital Age (Olive Project, 2020–2024) is developing teacher training at a Palestinian university. The initiative collaborates with Al-Azhar University in Gaza, Birzeit University, and educational and governmental entities in Finland (Finn Church Aid). (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/projects/teacher-education-without-walls/about-the-olive project) The Finnish organization OEP (Omnia Education Partnerships) is also involved in these initiatives. The project, which is mostly funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish National Agency for Education, costs around 2 million euros. See also Birzeit University. (https://did.li/fn65q) 137 https://www.pipa.ps/page.php?id=26eeedy2551533Y26eeed 138 See, for example, the European Union Factsheet: EU support to Palestinians (Europa. eu) 139 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3823, And see also p. 23 in particular European Joint Strategy 2021-2024.PDF (Europa.eu) 140 Palestine* - European Commission (Europa. eu) 141 https://did.li/5hJaa

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