PA Minister of Education: UNRWA is prohibited from making changes to textbooks without consulting with the Ministry of Ed
Headline: "Al-Agha: UNRWA is obligated to implement the host government’s curriculum in its schools"
"PLO Executive Committee member and Director of the Department for Refugee Affairs Zakaria Al-Agha said: 'UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) is obligated to implement the host government’s curriculum in its schools.' This was during his meeting with the UNRWA crisis team, comprised of the national and Islamic factions, the students' parents, and the popular committees, which was meant to discuss everything regarding the changes in the UNRWA textbooks in the PA areas.
The crisis team expressed its concern about the fact that the UNRWA administration distributed an edition that includes instructions and dictates for the teachers to change some of the teaching methods, which constitutes a blow to the culture of the Palestinian refugees’ right of return, and this concern reflects the viewpoint of the teachers, parents, and students alike.
Al-Agha emphasized that the Department for Refugee Affairs is closely monitoring this matter, as it has held a number of discussions with Arab states that are hosting Palestinian refugees, with the UNRWA administration at all of its levels, and with Palestinian [PA] Minister of Education and Higher Education [Sabri Saidam].
He emphasized: 'There is an agreement that it is forbidden to make any change to the UNRWA curriculum, which is obligated to [follow] the curriculum set by the ministry of education in all of the Arab host countries. This has also been verified by the UNRWA administration - which said that no change will be made without consultation and prior coordination with the [PA] Ministry of Education and Higher Education and its counterparts in the Arab host countries - and also by the Arab host countries and Minister Sabri Saidam.’"
"PLO Executive Committee member and Director of the Department for Refugee Affairs Zakaria Al-Agha said: 'UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) is obligated to implement the host government’s curriculum in its schools.' This was during his meeting with the UNRWA crisis team, comprised of the national and Islamic factions, the students' parents, and the popular committees, which was meant to discuss everything regarding the changes in the UNRWA textbooks in the PA areas.
The crisis team expressed its concern about the fact that the UNRWA administration distributed an edition that includes instructions and dictates for the teachers to change some of the teaching methods, which constitutes a blow to the culture of the Palestinian refugees’ right of return, and this concern reflects the viewpoint of the teachers, parents, and students alike.
Al-Agha emphasized that the Department for Refugee Affairs is closely monitoring this matter, as it has held a number of discussions with Arab states that are hosting Palestinian refugees, with the UNRWA administration at all of its levels, and with Palestinian [PA] Minister of Education and Higher Education [Sabri Saidam].
He emphasized: 'There is an agreement that it is forbidden to make any change to the UNRWA curriculum, which is obligated to [follow] the curriculum set by the ministry of education in all of the Arab host countries. This has also been verified by the UNRWA administration - which said that no change will be made without consultation and prior coordination with the [PA] Ministry of Education and Higher Education and its counterparts in the Arab host countries - and also by the Arab host countries and Minister Sabri Saidam.’"