Introduction

  • The following presentation is based on a study of over two hundred Palestinian Authority (PA) textbooks and teachers’ manuals, most of which are used in UNRWA schools (grades 1-10) in Judea, Samaria, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. A number of items from grades 11 and 12 were also included in the presentation to make the picture more complete.
  • These are mandatory books taught in all schools in the above-mentioned areas, whether government, municipal and private schools, as well as those run by UNRWA, Islamic charitable associations, and Christian churches (with the exception of a limited number of schools in East Jerusalem that have adopted the Israeli curriculum, or that use PA books that have been “censored” by the Jerusalem Municipality). All books are from the latest editions. Most were published in 2020 (textbooks) and 2018 (teachers’ manuals). A few were published in earlier years, but all are in use in the current school year.
  • This is a comprehensive study that examined books of all subjects: Arabic, English, mathematics, Islamic education, Christian education (for Christian students in the PA education system), national education, social studies, history, geography, science, technology, arts and crafts, and vocational education. Each of the books was read page by page from beginning to end.
  • The study included textual material (including exercises, review questions, and footnotes), photographs, illustrations, maps, tables, diagrams, and cartoons. Attention was also paid to lack of references to subjects relevant to the conflict on the basis of the researcher’s familiarity with parallel studies – of Israeli schoolbooks, for example (They contain expressions that are missing from their Palestinian counterparts, such as advocating a peaceful resolution of the conflict, providing objective information about the opponent alongside the details of the conflict with him, positive reference to individual members of the opposing side and self-criticism).

Click here to read the full document: PA and UNRWA Schoolbooks Dec 25.pptx

 

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