The Ministry of Education Holds a Sectoral Working Group Meeting on Education with the Participation of International Partners

Ramallah - Afaq News - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education held today a meeting of the sectoral working group for education, with the participation of representatives from donor countries, international and local institutions, alongside representatives from the ministry and partners, to discuss the latest developments in the education sector and its priorities, and to enhance coordination and partnership to support the educational process in Palestine.

The meeting was opened by Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Amjad Barham, who emphasized the importance of this meeting in light of the challenges facing the education sector, stressing the support for teachers and enhancing their professional status coinciding with World Teachers' Day, and continuing efforts to protect students' right to education and ensure its continuity and quality. He reviewed a number of priorities, most notably completing efforts to professionalize education, interactive learning, addressing educational loss, supporting educational centers in the Gaza Strip, and following up on the results of PISA tests, emphasizing the strategic importance of technical and developmental partnership in supporting the efforts of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education during this sensitive phase.

For her part, Maeve McKiernan, Director of Cooperation at the Irish Representation, stressed the importance of continuing coordination between partners and the ministry, and directing support in line with current needs.

In turn, Sonia Abu Al-Atham, in a speech from the UNESCO National Office, emphasized the importance of cooperation in supporting the ministry's efforts and enhancing the educational system's capacity to respond to challenges and ensure the continuity of education.

As part of the meeting presentations, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs Dr. Ayoub Aliyan provided a detailed presentation on the updates regarding the return to schools in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, the challenges, achievements, and plans related to the new academic year.

In her turn, Julia Deekem, Director of the Education Program at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), provided a briefing that addressed the main challenges, achievements, and needs to support the educational process in its schools.

In the area of educational resources, Dr. Duaa Wahba presented on designing education based on Open Educational Resources (OER), highlighting opportunities to enhance access to quality learning resources and support modern teaching methods.

Dr. Ihab Shukri, Director General of Scientific Research, reviewed the updates on the national curriculum framework, explaining the efforts made to develop the curriculum system and respond to changing educational needs.

In aspects of digital transformation and financial planning, Dr. Hassan Ouda, Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Projects, presented on the efforts of digital transformation and the employment of technology in education. Additionally, the Director General of Educational Planning, Mr. Nasif Amira, provided a detailed presentation on the education sector budgets for the years 2026 and 2027 and the associated financial needs.

Mr. Waheed Jibran, representing the Education Cluster, also presented on the latest updates and relevant field interventions. The meeting concluded with a joint discussion on the proposed priorities, resulting in an agreement on a set of action points and recommendations aimed at enhancing coordination between the ministry and partners, supporting teachers and students, and strengthening the resilience of the educational system to ensure the continuity and quality of the right to education under various circumstances.