BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee

64
Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2006-2007)
2.7 Education
Education is highly valued in the face of the protracted nature of the Palestinian refugee crisis. It is seen both as
offering an opportunity for a better life and as a means of reaffirming identity. A study commissioned by UNRWA
on adolescents’ knowledge of and attitudes towards family, reproductive health issues and lifestyle practices,
showed that 76% of the respondents aspired to higher education. 64 Most refugees benefit from the elementary
and preparatory education provided by UNRWA schools, while others study in host country public schools. Few
study in private schools. Access to secondary and higher education is restricted in some host countries. Financial
constraints prevent other refugees from continuing education. (See Chapter Three.)
Education-related problems for
refugees differ among the host
countries, and include a serious
gender gap in the 1967-occupied
Palestinian territory, inadequate
education among young men in
camps in Jordan, a significant number
of young adults in Syria who lack
basic education, and generally high
levels of non-literacy. 65 During the
civil war and the Israeli invasion of
Lebanon, some refugee children lost
more than a year of schooling. In the
1967-occupied Palestinian territory,
refugee children lost between 35%
and 50% of class time during the
first intifada. The second intifada
has negatively affected access to
education and the quality of education provided in the OPT. 66 Israeli military and Jewish settler activity in the
OPT has had a negative effect on the capacity of students to concentrate, participate in class, and meet amongst
themselves for study purposes. 67 During 2006, a decline was observed in test scores in schools and school attendance
in the OPT. 68
Overview of Jenin refugee camp, occupied West Bank. October 2006. © Anne Paq.
2.7.1 Enrolment
Enrolment rates among refugee children are high, but tend to drop off at the preparatory level owing to poverty, lack
of motivation, and (among young women) marriage and social constraints. Nearly all refugee children are enrolled at
the elementary stage. Enrolment patterns begin to differ between host countries at the preparatory level. Drop-out rates
appear to be lower in UNRWA schools. Fewer refugees are enrolled in secondary and higher education in Lebanon
than elsewhere. In all fields and at nearly all ages, more women than men are enrolled.
Table 2.11: Enrolment Levels (%) in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and West Bank & Gaza Strip
Age Group
Lebanon
M F M
Jordan
F M
Syria
F
West Bank & Gaza Strip
M F
7–9 97 98 100 100 98 98
10–14 87 91 93 94 91 91 79 83
15–18 42 61 60 51 48 55
19–24 11 11 12 14 14 17
Sources: On the Margins: Migration and Living Conditions Among Palestinian Refugees in Camps in Jordan, FAFO: Institute for Applied Social
Science, 2000; Difficult Past, Uncertain Future: Living Conditions Among Palestinian Refugees in Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon, FAFO: Institute
for Applied Social Science, 2003; Statistical Yearbook of Palestine 4, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2003. Data for the West Bank and
Gaza Strip reflects the age group 6–24 years in 2006; Household Health Survey 2006, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2007.