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TITLE: Violating the Right to Education |
AUTHOR: |
ORG: Lawsociety |
DATE: January 26, 2001 |
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Palestinian schoolchildren, teachers and others involved in the education system have been subject to Israeli violence and brutal control tactics Palestinian schools have been attacked and turned into army bases; Israeli checkpoints and concrete blocks have been placed to impede travel on roads leading to schools and Palestinian pupils and teachers have been shot at, killed, wounded or arrested on their way to school by the Israeli army. This LAW Society report deals with Israel's violation of the right to education as a method of collective punishment against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Killing schoolchildren and teachers: From 29 September to 31 December 2000, fifty-six Palestinian schoolchildren were killed and 1,886 wounded, either lightly or resulting in permanent disability. 14 year-old Moayad Jawareesh from Ayida refugee camp was in the 9th grade at Beit Jala School when he was killed. His father told LAW, "My son died on his way back from school on 16 October 2000, when a rubber-coated steel bullet hit him in the head. He was still carrying his schoolbag when he died. He was a bright child; he wanted to be a doctor." 17 year-old Waleed Al Badan of Taqou'a High School died at school on 30 November 2000 after an Israeli soldier shot him in the heart. Similarly, 16 year-old Mohammad Al Sha'ir, from the same school, was shot and killed on 2 November 2000 during an attack on the school by Israeli soldiers. In a separate incident, on 12 November 2000 Israeli settlers shot and wounded Amer Al Badan, a tenth grader at Taqou?a High School, in the left leg. The school principal took him to hospital in his own car as Israeli closures were preventing ambulances from reaching Palestinian villages. A rubber-coated steel bullet hit Issa Sarayra, a teacher at Taqou'a High School, when an Israeli army unit assaulted the school on 2 November 2000. Israeli soldiers had already broken into the school on 29 October, searching its classrooms and destroying the door leading to the sports hall. Arrests of pupils and teachers Israeli forces have arrested eight teachers and 33 schoolchildren since September 29, 2000. Saleem Zauol, 14 and Mansur Zauol, 15, were arrested on 25 October 2000; 16 year-old Mohammad Al Lauzi of Al Ram High School was arrested on 28 October, and 16 year-old Rushdi Al Batmi of Al Khader High School was arrested the following day. 16 year-old Tarek Amera and 12th grader Ghasan Shusha from Husan High School in Bethlehem were arrested on 11 November 2000. Bayamin Abdul Jaleel from Nablus who taught at Beit Fureek was arrested on October 13, 2000. Abdul Aziz Shinar, Slaiman Fatayir and Wasfi Mohammad, three teachers from Nablus were arrested on October 19, 2000. Nidal Al Asmar, a teacher from Kabatia, was arrested at a checkpoint on November 11, 2000. Nail Daka, 23, a teacher in Jerusalem, was arrested at Bethlehem checkpoint on December 5, 2000, as was Mahmoud Sharif, another 23 year-old teacher in Jerusalem. Chased by bullets: The Israeli army has prevented teachers from reaching their schools. On some days, up to ninety percent of the 32,051 Palestinian teachers have been prevented from reaching their schools, offices or kindergartens. Amjad Abu Khiran from Al Arub refugee camp, an academic advisor in Jerusalem, was forced to wait at the Bethlehem-Jerusalem military checkpoint from 8am - 5pm; he was only released after signing a paper stating that he would never try to enter Jerusalem again. Teachers and students have sometimes had to travel to their schools under a shower of bullets fired from nearby Israeli outposts. Israel has placed concrete blocks and military barriers at entrances leading to Palestinian towns and villages, preventing Palestinians from arriving at their schools or universities. For instance, in the areas of Husan, Nahalin, Bateer and Wadi Foakin, concrete blocks were placed on the roads, forcing teachers to risk their lives by walking around them. Hebron: The closure over the Palestinian territories has crippled the education system, especially in areas under Israeli control. The curfew imposed on the occupied part of Hebron deprived 13,000 students of their right to education for 84 consecutive days. 28 schools in Hebron closed due to Israeli closure and curfew; 460 teachers could not get to their schools (eg Al Zatari Boy's School and Al Nahda School). Ten other schools in the southern part of Hebron, such as Al-Zeef, Um Al Safa and Al Ka'abni, had to close for the same reasons. The schools near 'flashpoints' have been the worst hit, since they are subjected to frequent attack by Israeli soldiers and settlers. When Hebron's curfew was lifted, students on their way to school were often met with a hail of bullets, especially on 4 November 2000. Turning schools into military bases: The Israeli authorities have also turned some schools into army bases, for example the Usama Munkith (584 students), Al Ma'arif (871 students), Jawhar Girl's (380 students) and Al Ukhwa schools in Hebron Nadia Al Sharif, principal of Usama Munlith School, told LAW Society, "On Thursday, 12 October 2000, the school caretaker found the door broken. I was informed that Israeli soldiers had placed tanks in the schoolyard, barricades and concrete blocks around the school grounds and machineguns in the windows. On October 16, I went to see for myself; the school was occupied and an Israeli flag had been hoisted on the roof." Faris Al Hashlamoon, head teacher of Al Ma'arif Primary School, told LAW, "Israeli soldiers opened fire at our children on 14 October 2000. The school was turned into military base with machineguns and concrete barricades." The Palestinian Ministry of Education had to evacuate several schools in order to protect the children from indiscriminate Israeli bombing. Both Deir Al Balah Primary School and Khadija Bint Khowailed Girl's School were hit during the first days of the Intifada. Israeli military orders to close Palestinian schools: In Al Khader, four schools (Al Khader Boy's High; Sa'eed Al As Primary; Al Khader Girl's High and Al Khader Girl's Primary, which between them have 2,500 pupils) were closed by Israeli military order for the month of October 2000. Flashpoints: Schools near flashpoints - 173 in the West Bank and 23 in the Gaza Strip - were the worst hit. They were subjected to several kinds of assault, including bombing by the Israeli army and shooting by settlers. Bombing Palestinian schools: The Palestinian Ministry of Education announced on 18 November 2000 that the Israeli army had bombed the following Nablus schools: · Silat Al Thahir Boy's High School · Fadwa Tukan High School · Mazuz Al Masri Girl's Primary School · Basam Al Shak'a Boy's School · Beit Wazan Primary Girl's School. Other schools damaged by Israeli bombing include: · Tulkarem Vocational School · Ajnadin Boy's Primary School · Ihsan Samara High School · Al Fadiliya Boy's High School · Taha Hussein Primary School · Al Mizra'a Primary School, in Deir Al Balah in Gaza. A Lau missile hit this school on October 24, 2000. · Chile and Wadee' Al D'mas Schools in Beit Jala were destroyed by Israeli bombs The following schools had Israeli gunships flying overhead and were besieged by Israeli tanks: · Al Khader Boy's School · Saeed Al A's Primary Boy's School · Al Khader Primary Girl's School · Taqu'a High School · Taqu'a Primary School (all five schools are in Bethlehem district) According to LAW's documentation, Israeli forces have bombed 23 schools in the Palestinian territories. Ministry of Education declares emergency: The Palestinian Ministry of Education issued a press release on 14 November 2000, strongly condemning Israeli violations of the right to education (including attacks on schools, teachers and schoolchildren) and demanding international protection for Palestinian children. The press release reiterated the Palestinians' right to freedom and education. The Ministry decided to continue education services despite the difficulties. It formed emergency committees in each district and in every school to assist in this task. International law: The Israeli occupation has violated all international laws and conventions dealing with human rights including the protection of children and of protected civilians in time of war. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulates, "Everyone has the right to education." END |