Sectorial Education Policies and the Strategies of Civil Society NGOs

Dr. Ali Khalifa, Director of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, presented the 2017-2020 Education Development Plan, and discussed with the invited guests the huge challenges for education policy in the Gaza Strip.

He talked about the goals of the international sustainable development plan 2030, which is guiding educational policy in Palestine. In his opinion, several important goals have been achieved in recent years in different areas of the education system, for example the reform of the high school system. However, the education sector in the Gaza Strip suffers from the precarious social and financial situation. Elaborating on some of the indicators for his assessment, he made clear that only 13% of high school graduates in the Gaza Strip are enrolled in university education. He argued that the reason for this was that many families cannot afford the costs of universities.

A lively discussion between the invited guests from the teaching associations and civil society and Dr. Khalifa ensued, in which he affirmed that the development of education in Palestine is an important prerequisite for a future independent state.