Arab Committee on Educational Programs for Students in Occupied Territories Concludes Cairo Meetings

Amman- The 108th session of the Committee on Educational Programs for Arab Students in the Occupied Arab Territories concluded on Wednesday at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, with participation from Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and the Arab States Broadcasting Union.اضافة اعلان

Head of the Jordanian delegation, Saeed Attia, Director of Monitoring at the Department of Palestinian Affairs, emphasized that the Palestinian cause remains the central issue for Jordan and the Arab world. He highlighted that, under His Majesty King Abdullah II’s leadership, Jordan remains steadfast in supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their internationally recognized right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Attia affirmed Jordan’s commitment to supporting Palestine across various sectors, particularly in education. Through the Hashemite guardianship of holy sites, Jordan's Islamic Endowments Department oversees more than 50 endowment schools in the occupied city of Jerusalem, strengthening the educational system there.

He noted the increasing role of the committee in light of Israel's continued violations and the current war on Gaza, alongside recent Israeli legislation from the Knesset banning UNRWA’s operations within Palestinian territories. He warned that this ban could pose significant risks to the educational process.

In alignment with royal directives, Jordan signed a cooperation agreement to launch a mobile application in partnership with the WISE SCHOOL platform, offering free access to the Palestinian curriculum for students in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. This application, designed specifically for Palestinian curricula, is intended for students from first to twelfth grade, serving approximately 600,000 Palestinian students by enabling them to continue their studies and track progress through the platform.

The committee also addressed challenges and obstacles impacting education in the occupied territories, including ongoing violations by the occupation forces, targeting of students and teachers, and efforts to alter Palestinian curricula, particularly in Jerusalem, with Israeli versions.