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PRESS RELEASES 2000
September 4,2000
15'000 Palestinian
children denied education in East Jerusalem every year
The latest edition of the Palestinian Human Rights Monitor
is now available in Arabic and in English. This report deals
with the appalling situation of the education system in East
Jerusalem, and the discrepancies that exist in the
implementation of the right to education in both parts of
the city.
Researcher Evan S. Weiss has initiated his inquiries
following a statement by Mayor of Jerusalem Ehud Olmert, on
22 July 2000, that PHRMG's allegations of discrimination in
the education system for Arab pupils in East Jerusalem were
nonsense. The report, compiled after collection of extensive
data and numerous interviews and on-site visits, reveals
that indeed the supply of school facilities in East
Jerusalem is blatantly inadequate. An average of 15'000
pupils are prevented every year from attending school, due
on the one hand to the severe shortage in classroom, and on
the other hand to the unawareness among the pupils' parents
of their right to free education for their children, as
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the Convention for the Rights of the Child.
The report further reveals that the conditions of education
in East Jerusalem schools are severely substandard. Existing
classrooms are overcrowded, and in an attempt to find
additional space, schools are forced to convert bomb
shelters and even science laboratories into regular
classrooms, limiting the facilities otherwise available to
pupils. Schools also rent out apartments and homes, spaces
that are obviously not suited for educational purposes. Both
the facilities - libraries, computer laboratories,
facilities for the arts and physical education - and the
equipment are lacking. Furthermore, without proper
ventilation, lighting and visual aids, the atmosphere in
most classrooms in unsuitable for education, and sanitary
conditions are poor.
The PHRMG wants to uncover the gap in public learning
between East and West Jerusalem and motivate all parties
concerned to support the right to education of Palestinian
children in East Jerusalem. We remind the Israeli
authorities that Arab citizens of Jerusalem contribute to
26% of municipal revenues, whereas they benefit from only 5%
of municipal services.
Please contact the PHRMG if you wish to receive a copy of
the report, that will soon be available on our web site.
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