Distance education is a refuge for Palestinians in the West Bank in light of the Israeli escalation

The Ibrahimi School in Hebron is one of 4 schools that have been completely closed since last October 7 (Al Jazeera)

In light of the Israeli escalation in the West Bank and the increase in settler attacks, dozens of schools quickly switched to distance learning, benefiting from their experience during the spread of the Corona virus in 2020.

On the one hand, the experience represented a lifeline and a refuge for students from the bullets of the occupation, and on the other hand, it was a lifeline for the government, which is unable to pay full salaries to its employees, including teachers.

According to a report by the Ministry of Education, 46 students were martyred, 294 were injured, and 91 were arrested, between October 7, 2023 and February 13 of this year, while 6 teachers were injured and more than 71 were arrested, and 46 schools were subjected to attacks by the occupation army and settlers during Same period.

Most West Bank schools combine face-to-face and distance education (Al Jazeera)

Safe haven

The experience of schools in the Old City of Hebron, which is dotted with settlement outposts, is a vivid example of the importance of distance education in covering even part of the educational needs of students, especially since schools there have been subject to a curfew most of the time since last October 7.

Director of Education in the city of Hebron, Atef Al-Jamal, told Al-Jazeera Net, “4 schools with at least 600 male and female students enrolled were unable to attend regular face-to-face education (in schools) as a result of the closure of the Old City.”

He added that these schools resorted to e-learning, which was a refuge for students and teachers to bypass the occupation procedures, but this "does not completely replace face-to-face education to support distance education, and the necessity of life returning to normal, including schools."

According to the Ministry of Education, hundreds of thousands of students are experiencing blended education, electronically on some days and in person on other days, while some areas located near points of contact and friction with the occupation have completely switched to distance education.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Education, Sadiq Al-Khadour, told Al Jazeera Net that with the start of the aggression on Gaza last October, the Ministry was forced to switch to distance education, in the last two months of the first semester (end of 2023).

He added, "The experiment is continuing in its entirety with about 30,000 students, male and female, in about 100 schools located in seam areas, with the aim of providing safety for students and keeping them away from areas of contact with the occupation army and settlers."

He said, "The experience allowed the ministry to verify the extent of readiness in the event that the aggression continues or extends to other areas in the West Bank, which is what happened during the Israeli incursions and the incursions of Jenin, Tulkarm, and others."

Challenges and difficulties

Despite the importance of the experience, Al-Khadour points to a number of challenges, including the destruction of infrastructure and communication networks during the raids, and the presence of a large number of students in one family. This means their need for more devices, in addition to the difficult economic conditions that the West Bank is going through, and the varying commitment of students to attending their lessons.

The Palestinian official acknowledges that “education justice is not achieved in distance education as it is in face-to-face education, due to the high rate of absence.”

As for the teacher, Al-Khadour says that he “has formed a milestone, and that he is qualified to give, whether in face-to-face or distance education.” He adds that the teachers “have accumulated the experience they gained during the Corona period, and things have become easier, despite the presence of some problems resulting from the presence of students.” And new teachers, and some people forget the procedures for working on communication programs.”

He continued, "The Ministry seeks to adopt face-to-face education as much as possible, and to resort to electronic education when necessary and in difficult field or weather conditions."

The Ministry of Education says that hundreds of thousands of students are experiencing blended education (Al Jazeera)

Relative presence

For his part, Ziad Al-Darabie, a school principal south of Hebron, says, “E-learning is a necessity, and it is the only solution if the area in which the school is located is unsafe, subject to occupation measures or the spread of settlers, or if the barriers there prevent the access of students or teachers.”

However, in his interview with Al Jazeera Net, he pointed out that there are "many obstacles, the most important of which is that most teachers are not ready for distance education, because communication programs need to be prepared and use unconventional teaching and learning methods and methods, such as videos and drawings, and this requires training and mastery."

The director pointed out the problem of “the interruption or weakness of Internet service in many areas, and some families and teachers are unable to pay Internet fees due to economic conditions,” explaining that there is “a lack of commitment by students at a rate of up to 50% sometimes.”

While emphasizing the importance of e-learning, teachers who spoke to Al Jazeera Net link the ministry’s approach to distance education to the government’s inability to disburse teachers’ salaries in full on the one hand, and blocking the way for any strikes or protests if it insists on face-to-face education on the other hand.

According to data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics for the year 2022, about 93% of Palestinian families in the West Bank have access to Internet service, while the percentage of individuals who use the Internet aged 10 years and over and in any place is about 92%.

In terms of devices, the percentage of individuals who own a smart phone aged 10 years or over reached 83% in the West Bank, while the number of fixed telephone lines, including home, commercial and government, in all of Palestine reached about 457,700 lines.

Source: Al Jazeera