Since 1994, World Teachers’ Day has been celebrated on the 5th of October to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. It is a day to reflect on the support teachers need from governments to fully deploy their talent and vocation, and to reshape the future of the teaching profession. Aligning with the commitments and calls for action made at the recent Transforming Education Summit, this year’s theme is “The transformation of education begins with teachers.”  This year, The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the European Union (EU), and the Palestinian Ministry of Education joined forces with likeminded partners, including ILO and UNRWA, to mark World Teacher’s Day and celebrate the instrumental role that Palestinian teachers play in transforming education.  Ten teachers were honored for implementing exceptional teaching practices in their classrooms. All ten teachers work in schools across the West Bank and Gaza where they face numerous challenges and risks – for many, this includes the risk of violence, or restrictions on their access to school. Enhancing the quality of education in Palestine goes hand in hand with ensuring teachers’ safe access to their workplaces.  During the event, Minister of Education, Dr. Marwan Awartani, stressed the issue of ongoing violations against education, teachers, students, and education personnel, emphasizing how challenging it is for teachers to educate when faced with such risks. Speaking at the event, Ms. Noha Bawazir, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Palestine, said: “Palestinian teachers are often responsible for more than teaching. On many occasions, they must keep themselves and their students safe and protected from violent attacks, detentions, and movement restrictions preventing them from reaching their classes.”  Between 2020 -2021, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) identified at least 85 reported incidents of attacks on school students, teachers, or other education personnel in Palestine. Education plays an important part in advancing the transformation of human societies; therefore, to shape sustainable futures, education itself must be transformed. If the challenges that teachers face are not addressed, losing them to the profession could be a fatal blow to the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 4. EU Head of Cooperation, Ibrahim Laafia, stated at the event: “Education is a basic right for every person and every child. The EU strongly believes that education is the cornerstone to building a democratic society that respects the other, and respects diversity and human rights. In Palestine, this basic children’s right is facing tremendous challenges.” Even though Palestinian teachers face numerous challenges due to the difficult socio-economic and political situation, they still choose to get up every day and contribute to the education of learners in Palestine. This event a reminder of Palestinian teachers’ determination and commitment to create a better future for Palestinians. As reaffirmed at the Transforming Education Summit, guaranteeing teachers' decent working conditions, access to professional development opportunities and a recognized professional status is the first step towards more resilient education. Mr. Mounir Kleibo, ILO Representative insisted that “We need a transformed education where there is work life balance and where the wellbeing and mental health of both teachers and learners are priories at the level of the state. Investment in education, decent work and social justice can indeed transform the world – in fact, it all starts there.”   Unless we transform conditions for teachers, the promise of that education will remain out of reach for those who need it most. Adam Boloukos, Director of UNRWA affairs in the West Bank had this to say: “At UNRWA in the West Bank, we have over 1,500 teachers committing their days to educating the children of Palestine refugees. Who better to represent the teachers of the world on this day than them? They are working with constant security challenges, instability, uncertainty of their environment and with psychosocial challenges that the children have. The teachers here go above and beyond the expectations for a typical teacher.” Congratulations to all the teachers that were awarded! Nidaa Abu Khadija – Jerusalem direcorate Mayssa’ Al-Qassem – Toubas Kawthar Wahdan – Jericho Halima Ali Nasser – Ramallah and Al-Bireh Eyad Ahmad Al-Souki – Jenin Sa’ida Al-Jayoussi – Toulkarm Haya Hussein Shalabi – Jenin Lina Abed Al-Qader – West Gaza Ranin Nu’man – Salfit Nisreen Qaza’at – East Gaza

In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared the 9th of September as International Day to Protect Education from Attack. The resolution proclaiming the Day was presented by the State of Qatar and co-sponsored by 62 countries. UNESCO and UNICEF were designated as the United Nations agencies responsible for raising awareness of the plight of the millions affected by attacks on education globally. Places of education should be safe havens for children, students and education personnel. However all too often they, and the places wherein they learn, become either direct targets or collateral damage in conflict-affected contexts. These attacks on education can have serious, long-term physical and psychological repercussions for students and teachers. They can suspend teaching and learning, lead to a significant increase in dropout rates and prevent students from accessing their right to quality education. According to the 2022 Education Under Attack report, throughout 2021 and 2022 there were 5,000 reported attacks on education and incidences of military use of schools and universities globally. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack also reported that 9,000 students and educators were harmed in 85 countries. Attacks on education in Palestine are also referenced in the 2022 report. For instance, out of the 28 countries profiled, Palestine was ranked as one of three countries most affected by attacks on schools, alongside Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Recently, as 1.3 million children returned to school in Palestine, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator highlighted the incidences of violence and attacks they had already been subjected to in 2022 and called for more to be done to protect them. The first two years marking International Day to Protect Education from Attack emphasised the central role that safe, inclusive and quality education plays in fostering peace and social cohesion. World leaders, experts, advocates, civil society and youth representatives in support of action united against attacks on education. This year’s events will focus on the need to strengthen prevention mechanisms, protect vulnerable populations and enhance accountability mechanisms and access to justice. On 9 of September, UNESCO will host a high-level event at its headquarters in Paris. The event will be held in partnership with Qatar, Education Above All (EAA), UNICEF and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. UN speakers will include the Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Gutierrez, Director General of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Catherine Russell. Participants will also hear from H.H. Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of EAA, H.E. Mr. Nana-Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, and H.R.H. Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. The event will be livestreamed from 11am and you can follow proceedings in Paris via this link. In Palestine and beyond, the right to safe and quality education for all must be upheld. UNESCO and UNICEF will continue to work alongside our partners in Palestine to ensure that this is realised.      

Under the umbrella of the “Improving Student Skills for Innovation and Sustainable Development through STEAM and Coding in Palestinian Schools” project, UNESCO and the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) – Gaza, launched a training of trainers (ToT), to strengthen Gazan teachers’ and club coordinators skills in the fields of coding, robotics, AI and sustainable development. At the end of this training, teachers will be able to create simple robotics products and develop AI tools and systems to solve economic, social and human challenges that contribute to sustainable development. The teachers will then transfer the acquired knowledge through the provision of training for 280 selected students from grade 5 -11 to equip them with skills that facilitate their access to the labour market. UCAS is conducting 12 days of training with a total of 60 training hours/ToT and 5 coaching hours for teachers and club coordinators on coding, robotics, AI and sustainable development skills using the robotic kits.  This project supports the Ministry of Education in its implementation of the 2022 Annual work plan and the ICT Education plan for 2022 with a focus on STEAM, thanks to the generous funding from the Government of Japan!

After two very difficult years brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to invest in culture, to allow creativity to thrive, and to enable the creative economy to build back our communities and societies better.   In 2019, Palestine was one of 16 countries selected to implement the project Re|Shaping Cultural Policies for the Promotion of Fundamental Freedoms and the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which was implemented by UNESCO and generously funded by Sweden. The project is within the framework of UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and aimed to support Parties to the 2005 Convention to strengthen the human and institutional capacities of government actors and civil society to monitor and report on policies and measures that protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions. A key element of the project was supporting beneficiaries to submit Quadrennial Periodic Reports on the implementation of the 2005 Convention. The project also prioritized facilitating discussion and cooperation across ministries and the public on issues such as gender equality in the cultural sector, media, diversity, and artistic freedom, amongst other topics. Despite the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic which broke out a few months after the project commenced, Palestine, through the Ministry of Culture, submitted its QPR in October 2020. The QPR referred to 55 cultural policies, programs and best practices implemented between 2017 and 2020 and which correspond to the provisions of the 2005 Convention. The QPR also highlighted the challenges facing the creative sector in Palestine and outlined future plans to overcome these and enhance the cultural scene. As part of the project, UNESCO Ramallah planned and carried out several initiatives and activities designed to boost the culture sector, particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. On the latter, UNESCO conducted two studies on the Effects of COVID-19 on the Palestinian Culture Scene and Digital Culture in Palestine. These studies were carried out following a request from the Ministry of Culture to explore the possibility of investing in and utilizing various technical and digital means as an alternative to ‘in-person’ activities, to continue supporting and promoting Palestinian culture during COVID-19 and similar crises. These studies provided a set of recommendations which will help to design a contextualized national digital strategy for culture. In addition, UNESCO Ramallah and the Bethlehem Municipality collaborated to celebrate Bethlehem, the Arab Capital of Culture (2020), as well as the International year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development (2021). This resulted in a study and a video that highlighted the most prominent cultural creative industries in the city and assessed their contribution to the local economy. The video and study findings were presented during a May 2022 symposium in Bethlehem. The event gave the floor to concerned stakeholders, including cultural practitioners and activists, so they could share their feedback and pinpoint not only the challenges facing the sector in Bethlehem, but also their recommendations to improve it.   As celebrating the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development was anticipated to run over an entire year, UNESCO recognized the importance of illustrating the concept of creative economy to ensure a better understanding of it at a national level. Therefore, UNESCO Ramallah organized a 3-week virtual training on Creative Economy in partnership with City, University of London. Through reading materials, podcasts, explainer videos and live sessions with the facilitators, the training tackled 3 different topics related to creative economy, namely its broad definition and understanding, policy related to creative economy and digitization. UNESCO Ramallah and the Ministry of Culture also organized a conference to discuss the status of culture post COVID-19 with cultural centers from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and explore cultural policies and measures towards enhancing cultural industries and the digitization of culture. The conference that took place on 31 May 2022 was also a platform for UNESCO to nationally launch the 2022 Global Report; Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity – Addressing culture as a Global Public Good. The findings of the report and its Executive Summary were presented and discussed, as were the outcomes of the aforementioned studies on the Impact of Covid-19 on the Culture Sector and Digital Culture in Palestine. Lastly, within the framework of the project, UNESCO Ramallah sponsored four radio episodes that were broadcasted on 5 local radio stations addressing the various components tackled throughout the lifespan of the project, including the Global Report Re-Shaping Policies for Creativity and the experience of developing the QPR. The studies on the Effects of COVID-19 on the Palestinian Culture Scene and Digital Culture in Palestine were presented in another episode, and the third episode focused on gender equality in cultural policies and creative industries in Palestine. The final episode was in English and addressed the mandate of UNESCO in the Culture sphere and its role as a technical advisor on cultural policies The different components of the project and the various outputs and outcomes of the activities that were planned and executed during its lifespan clearly demonstrated the richness and diversity of Palestinian cultural expressions, and the potential they have in influencing development and sustainability at the national level. Yet the project also outlined the urgent need to revise cultural policies and re-think the cultural and creative sphere in a manner that enables the concerned stakeholders to address the challenges facing the cultural sector, and adopt the change needed to support the main actors in the sector and beyond. After two very difficult years brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to invest in culture, to allow creativity to thrive, and to enable creative economy to build back our communities and societies better. UNESCO will build on the conclusions and lessons learnt from the project and will continue to advocate for the fostering and advancing of the creative sector and cultural expressions in Palestine.

Today, the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with UNESCO and UNICEF, held a consultation ahead of the upcoming Transforming Education Pre-Summit happening in Paris from the 28th to the 30thof June, at which His Excellency Prof. Dr. Marwan Awartani, Minister of Education, will be in attendance.  This Pre-Summit is taking place in advance of the Transforming Education Summit (TES) happening in New York this September, when Palestine will then take its place amongst world leaders for the TES at the invitation of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres. The consultation, held in Ramallah, gathered stakeholders from across the education sector in Palestine with the aim of developing a shared vision for the future of education and strengthening both public and private commitment in pursuit of these goals. The audience heard remarks from the Minister for Education, H.E. Prof. Dr. Marwan Awartani; the President of the Global Campaign for Education, Mr. Refaat Sabbah; UNESCO Ramallah Head of Office and Representative to Palestine, Ms. Noha Bawazir; and Consutlation Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shuaibat.  Attendees then broke into groups to engage in productive discussions about key educational issues on the agenda for TES, including inclusive, equitable, safe and healthy schools; learning and skills for life; teachers and teaching; digital learning; and the financing of education. The discussions and inputs throughout this consultation process will help to inform the government’s statement due to be delivered at the Transforming Education Summit. The Transforming Education Summit is a crucial opportunity to renew global political commitments to education as a public good and ensure that it is recognised as a human right and foundation for peace and sustainable development. The Summit is happening at a time of unprecedented disruption to education globally, as the education sector continues to reel from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Speaking this morning, Ms. Noha Bawazir said: “The UNESCO International Commission on the Future of Education has called for a new social contract for education – one that can both deliver on the unfulfilled promises of the past, and transform the future.”  “There must be inclusive dialogue and meaningful engagement across stakeholders, especially with young people, students and teachers. This process in the lead up to the Transforming Education Summit gives us all an opportunity to ensure education is at the centre of political debate in Palestine. All girls and boys in Palestine must complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.”  Ms. Bawazir concluded by saying: “While we celebrate educational achievements made in Palestine, we must focus on what remains to be done to achieve the targets under SDG 4, Quality Education. We look forward to the continuation of this inclusive process, including the focus group which will take place in Gaza next month, as we all take steps towards achieving SDG 4 and leaving no one behind.”     

FOR SHAHD* (11), A SCHOOL DAY LOOKS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN MOST CHILDREN OF HER AGE. I would rather go to regular school with other children, but the teachers and nurses at the hospital are very kind, and they make it okay. Shahd has a chronic kidney problem and needs frequent dialysis. Because of this, she is unable to follow a regular school routine. Instead, the school must come to her at Augusta Victoria Hospital. She attends classes with caring teachers who come to her bedside and make sure that despite her illness, she does not miss out on the opportunity to learn. To support children receiving long treatment in hospitals, the Ministry of Education has opened four “Determination Schools” in Palestine’s West Bank and within the framework of the Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP) in Palestine, funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), UNESCO is providing support to all four of these schools. These determination schools provide flexible education to children unable to participate in regular classes at their local schools. The MoE recognizes that children who are hospitalized for prolonged periods of time are at a significant risk of falling behind in their studies. Determination Schools are currently operating in Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, An Najjah Hospital in Nablus, the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah and in Beit Jala. These schools all provide personalized education to children receiving prolonged medical treatment. “The students we teach here are often sad and depressed, and many are deeply frustrated because they don’t understand the reason for their illness, or why they have to keep coming to the hospital”, says one of Shahd’s teachers, Hiba Sonokrot. “This is one of the main challenges. For this reason, we need to be very supportive and teach them in a different way. We need to be not only a teacher, but a friend and a mother as well”. UNESCO, together with MoE, is scaling up the support it provides to these teachers to empower them with the special knowledge needed to support affected students, including individualized plans, psychosocial support and inclusive education. This helps children to learn despite difficult circumstances and builds their long-term resilience and ability to return to the regular school system in the future. It is not only the children in hospital who face challenges. Teachers, nurses and families working closely with children who have a closed prognosis, or a low life expectancy are anxious and worried about the child’s future. To cope, the teachers themselves need specialized training and support to daily manage these stresses. In addition to health-related worries, the children and their families hold concerns related to travel through checkpoints: often they must travel far from their families, who are left behind in Gaza or the West Bank due to a lack of travel permits. This limits the number of supportive family members and loved ones who are present thus placing additional strains on all. Before beginning her treatment at Augusta Victoria, Shahd had been missing education because she did not want to go to school. Not only did her regular school not have a good support system for someone with her illness, she was also reluctant to attend because of the stigma that illness carries. Since she arrived at the hospital four years ago, however, she has learned to read and write and is almost up-to-date with her education. For Shahd and the other students at Augusta Victoria and other Determination Schools the future is uncertain. Some of them may face chronic illness for the rest of their lives; others may recover. In the meantime, this flexible provision of education helps to achieve important objectives. Attending classes and keeping up with learning creates an enhanced sense of normalcy and helps build resilience and hope for the future. Shahd* was supported by UNESCO as part of the Multi-year resilience programme funded by Education Cannot Wait.    *Name changed to protect identity